カテゴリー: Isaiah

Today’s message title, “Seek the Lord while he may be found“ is taken from Isaiah 55:6. This chapter 55 is talking about God’s invitation. Chapter 53 speaks about the work of salvation by the Lord’s servant.  Chapter 54 is about the blessing and the heavenly kingdom that will be brought about by the work of salvation. Verse 1 says, “Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.”                           “

Then in today’s passage it says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found.”  (6) No matter how close God is, if you don’t personally seek God, you can’t receive those blessings.  The most fitting response to the Lord’s work is to seek the Lord. Today I would like to talk about three aspects of this.

１．The Lord will freely pardon (Vs. 6,7)

The first thing is why we must seek the Lord.  That is because the Lord has forgiven.  Please look at verses 6 and 7. “Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord,

and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”

Verse 1 says,” “Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,“  It isn’t just water. Food, wine and milk too will be received by free grace without paying money or paying the cost.  This is really an amazing invitation! It is unthinkable in our society to buy something without paying any money. However, here a more amazing invitation is being spoken about. That is if a person seeks the Lord, even if he is “wicked” (7), even if he is “unrighteous” (7), the Lord “will have mercy on them, and… freely pardon.” (7) Generally, the “wicked” (7) and “unrighteous” (7) are separated from God and walking their own selfish way so it seems like they would be abandoned by God, but that is not so. God is near to such wicked people, and “will have mercy on them.” (7) God is next to the “unrighteous” (7) and “he will freely pardon” (7) them.  Therefore, we must forsake our ways, and “seek the Lord”. (6)

How about you? Are you walking your own way, rather than the way of God? Are your thoughts yours or God’s? Even though you believe in Jesus as your Savior, do you strongly want to do as you want to do and live as you want to live?

Jesus said this. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) It is important to have your own firm opinions, but if they are too strong, then you won’t be able to listen to the Word of God.  Therefore, you must deny yourself. You must seek God’s way, not your own way. You must walk not by your own thoughts, but by God’s thoughts. Even if it looks foolish in man’s eyes, by listening to God’s Word and walking according to it, you will be the happiest person.

Let’s return to the Lord.  If so, the Lord “will have mercy on” (7) us.  Let’s return to the Lord. If so, the Lord “will freely pardon” (7) us. “Freely”! Our God freely pardons. If we commit a sin that can’t be made up for, we tend to think that we can’t be forgiven, but that is not so. Even if we are forgiven, we think that we can’t be forgiven easily and think that we must do penance or lots of charity in order to be forgiven, but that is wrong. God “will freely pardon.” (7) There is not one sin that God will not pardon. There is only one exception. That is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. “People can be forgiven all their sins… but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.” (Mark 3:28, 29) That is because even though the Holy Spirit shows sin through the words of the Bible, and says that salvation from that sin is through Jesus, if a person refuses to receive it, there is no way that he can be saved. That person will eternally not be forgiven. However, except for that sin, any kind of sin will be forgiven. Jesus Christ on the cross made atonement. There is not one sin that Jesus will not forgive. The moment you receive and believe in Jesus as your own Savior, all your past sins, present sins, and future sins are forgiven.

Please open your Bibles to I John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

This is the promise of God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) This is amazing grace! This forgiveness is higher than human intellect. This is God’s forgiveness. If you seek the Lord; if you forsake your ways, your thoughts, your values, your plans, and return to the Lord, then the Lord “will have mercy on” (7) you. The Lord “will freely pardon” (7) you.

However, there is just one condition.  That is “while he may be found;…while he is near.” (6) In other words, there is a limited time limit.  He can’t be found forever. He won’t be near forever. In the course of time a time will come when even though you want to find him, you won’t be able to. In the course of time there will come a time when he will go far away. At that time it will be too late. Therefore, “while he may be found…while he is near” (6) we must “seek the Lord.” (6)  How about you? If you still haven’t believed in Jesus, you must not put off doing so. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) Now is the chance to believe. No matter how wicked we are, no matter how unrighteous we are, the Lord is near you now. Therefore, we must “seek the Lord while he may be found.” (6)  In time, we won’t be able to seek the Lord.

２．God’s way and God’s thoughts are higher than yours (Vs. 8,9)

The reason this can be said is because God’s way and God’s thoughts are not ours and they are much higher.  Please look at verses 8 and 9. “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”

They are certainly different. The forgiveness that we think of and God’s forgiveness is completely different. The dimension is different. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,” (9) so are God’s ways and our ways and God’s thoughts and our thoughts are completely different. Please compare your thoughts with God’s thoughts. If so, you will realize that they are totally different. That is because we are not God. God is omniscience and omnipotent, knowing everything.  However, we have limitations and limited knowledge. We don’t know the future. However, God knows everything: the past, present, and also the future.  We think that we know our own life the best, but in reality it is not so. Who knows you the best is God. That is because God made you. Therefore, God knows what your future will be. He can see what you can’t see. He knows what you don’t know.  God is perfect and has a perfect plan.

If so, the wisest thing to do is to believe in God and live putting all in God’s hands. You may believe in yourself, but there are limitations and you are doing nothing more that believing in your limited self. You may think that you know everything, but it is a limited knowledge. You may think that you know what is best, but God may have a completely different plan.

Last summer, the missionaries to Turkey, Mr. & Mrs. Suetomi came and gave their testimony from this passage. They were sent out to Turkey for 6 years doing a good work in Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara and then they returned to Japan last year. No one planned it, but for the past 6 years the couple were led from one center of Turkish culture, economics, and politics to another.  In Istanbul and Izmir not only were they led to a good cooperative relationship with the church leaders, but through Koto concerts they shared the Gospel with the people they met and led many people to the church.  Even so, 2 years they were led to the capital city, Ankara. They didn’t know at all why they were in Ankara.  Last year when Prime Minister Abe visited Turkey, they were invited to a welcoming dinner that the Prime Minister Erdogan gave. They were given the opportunity to play the koto there. They were able to give a testimony to Prime Minister Abe by hand giving him their CD and a letter. Who could have ever dreamed of that! God knew everything.  God has a perfect plan. He sent the missionary couple to Ankara in advance.  God’s ways are higher than our ways and God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

If so, we should stop being troubled about thoughts of this and that, and we should pray putting all in God’s hands.  Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) We must make this prayer our prayer.  This is what is best.  There is a grand plan of God prepared for you that is higher than your thoughts. You must rely upon this plan.  God loves you so he will prepare the best way for you. That’s because God gave his most important only son. Therefore, God’s plan is the best. We must put leave everything to that plan. We must pray like Jesus, “Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.”

　３．God’s word will not return empty (Vs. 10-13)

The third point is the result. When we believe in God and live leaving everything in God’s hands, we will be filled with God’s blessings. Please read verses 10 and 11. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Here God’s Word is being spoken figuratively as rain and snow. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth” (10) and brings life to the things that are there, God’s Word too will definitely not return empty. In Israel rain rarely falls. Israel has a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season is in the winter. When the rainy season is over, the plants all sprout at once. The desert becomes green, and beautiful flowers bloom.  In the same way when God’s Word is spoken, no matter how dry the hearts of the people who hear it are, they will be watered and a beautiful flower will bloom. Even a person, who has been withered up until then, even an unproductive person too, will be changed into an abundant green heart. This is the Christian life. When God’s Word is planted in his heart, he becomes more and more alive. His thinking, and values change. What he says and does changes. His personality and habits completely change. God’s Word has that kind of power.

 Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart.” God’s Word is alive and has power so it can give man life.

In 1787 the English government sent 100 people to the Pacific island of Tahiti to pick up breadfruit plants and transport them to the West Indies. The name of the ship was called the Bounty.

After they reached the island, they made alcohol drinks from a native plant. They began drinking excessively and making life miserable for the women. The men also fought continuously and gradually killed each other off.  Finally only one man was left, John Adams. However, there we many children who had been born from the relationships between the English men and the native women.

About 30 years later an American ship visited on the island. The crew was surprised by the scene before their eyes. There was a church and John Adams, an old man, was the pastor. He was the king of the island, and like a father to everyone. He was surrounded by children of mixed blood. He explained to the crew what had happened on the island.

After all of his companions had killed each other off, John who was powerful and the only person left returned to the Bounty.  There he found a Bible. When he read the Bible, his eyes were filled with tears that wouldn’t stop. He repented.  He became a man of God.

After that by the leading of the Holy Spirit, he gathered the children together and taught the Word of God. The people respected him and made him king and followed him. Then the island became a read paradise. This was the power of 1 Bible.

 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) When the Word of God is preached, “it will not return…empty.” (11) It “will accomplish what” (11) God desires” and achieve the purpose for which “ (11) God sent it.

Even so we may think that there is no meaning in in preaching the Gospel because the other person doesn’t respond and shows no interest in faith or spiritual things. You may think there are no results. However, don’t give up. God’s Word will definitely not return empty.  It will definitely accomplish what God desires “and achieve the purpose for which” (11) God sent it.  To save people is the work of God. It has completely no relationship to our technique. When we speak the Word of God, the Word is alive working and changes that person into a person of God.

How wonderful that blessing is in verses 12 and 13. Let’s read this together. “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

 This is God’s promise for you. When you plant the Word of God, “you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (12) It is not just man. “The mountains and hills… and all the trees of the field” (12) too will sing to the Lord.  That is because by Jesus sin has been atoned. When sin is atoned by Jesus not only man who is stained with sin, but all of the natural world will be redeemed too.

Verse 13 is what it is like. “Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.” “Thornbush” (13) and “briers” (13) are symbols of curse. The “thornbush” (13) and “briers” (13) will all be removed and instead juniper and myrtle will grow.  I think you know Junipers. They are green and alive all year round. Most junipers offer at least some level of drought resistance. They are a sign of life. Maybe you haven’t seen a myrtle tree. The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree. The star-like flower has five petals and sepals, and numerous stamens. Petals are usually white. The leaf is very fragrant. Its fragrant oil is used in bath oils and pain killers. It is often used as a hedge plant. In other words, life is powerfully out of it. The juniper and myrtle are symbols of blessings. “This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” (13)

Like desolated Israel that is afforested and is covered with unceasing green, if you seek the Lord “and turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on” (7) you. Your life will be full with blessings. We were put here to be blessed. By believing in Jesus Christ “instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.” (13) The mistakes of our past and the failures of our past will by believing in Jesus will all be changed for our good. What a wonderful promise” That is good news, the Gospel.

Now if you believe in Jesus this blessing will become yours.  If you will respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading, then you too can live a blessed life. However, you can’t have that chance forever. We must “seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (6) No one knows what will happen to you tonight.  No one knows what will happen to you next week. Therefore, please “seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” If so, the Lord “will have mercy on” (7) you and “he will freely pardon.” (7) Then he will bless your life. Those people who have already believed in Jesus too, think anew about what it is to make Jesus your Lord, and forsake your ways and forsake your thoughts and “turn to the Lord”. (7)

Today let’s start Isaiah 55. Verse 1 says, “Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters: and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” “Without money” (1), in other words, this is an invitation to receive the free grace.  In your life up until now how many invitations have you received? Among those invitations which one was the most valuable to you? Here God is inviting you, “Come, all who are thirsty.” (1) God is inviting us to receive the free grace. This is really the most valuable invitation.  Today let’s look at three aspects of God’s invitation.

1. Come, all who are thirsty (Vs. 1)

First please look at verse 1.  Here it says, “Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,” This is the response of the work of salvation accomplished by the Lord’s servant.  The Lord was put on the cross and died, and 3 days later rose again.  What blessing did that bring? In Isaiah 54:12 it says, “I will make… all your walls of precious stones.” By Jesus dying on the cross, to those who believe in his name the kingdom of heaven will come. There is an abundant peace. Nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ. God is always with　you pouring out the living water upon you.  Therefore, here it is inviting “all who are thirsty” (1) to “come to the waters”. (1)

Recently in Japan too the amount of people that buy water to drink is increasing, but even so there is an image that water is a free drink. In other words, there is an image that it is not something expensive, but in reality it is a very precious resource. It is said that there is 1,400,000,000 km³ of water on the earth. Of that water 97% is salt water, and fresh water is only 3% of it. Also of the fresh water we can use only .8% for our life. Therefore, you can see how precious a resource water is.  In Europe when you go to a restaurant and order, if you want water, you must order mineral water.  You have to pay money and buy it.  Moreover, there are places when water is more expensive than wine. In Israel and Egypt and the Near and Middle Eastern desert regions water is more precious.  For example, in the biggest producer of oil, Saudi Arabia, water is said to be more expensive than oil.  That is how precious water is.

Even so, here it says to drink for free. Not only is water received, but also food milk and wine.  Of course this doesn’t just mean material blessings.  Just as Jesus said, ”I am the bread of life”, it is a symbol of life. Wine is a sign of joy. Milk is the milk of the Word of God “so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” (I Peter 2:2) It maintains life and is necessary for growth. Let’s come before God seeking such material and spiritual things that give us life, support our life, and bring joy to us.

The word “come” (1) is repeated three times. You have come here today. You came from somewhere.  I don’t know where, but you came. If you don’t come, nothing will begin. By coming you are able to receive. The number one thing God is saying to us is “come”. (1)The Lord Jesus said to many people who are troubled, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

Jesus didn’t say to watch him from a distance or to study him. He said, “Come to me.” (Matt. 11:28) If so, “I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Therefore, if you want to receive grace, you must come to Jesus. The word used for “Come” is a command in a strong form. This means that if you really want to receive God’s blessings, no matter what important business you have, no matter what you are doing, you must put it aside and come.

Here it says, “come to the waters”.(1) As I said before “water” is a symbol of life, but in the book of Isaiah it refers to God’s presence. Just like if man didn’t have water, he is not able to keep life in his body, if you don’t experience the reality of God’s presence at the deepest level of your spirit, then you can’t live. That is because man is made in the likeness and image of God.  If we are separated from the real creator God, no matter how good other things are, we are not satisfied in our hearts. It is the same as when there is no water, even if we drink juice and coca cola, later we get thirsty. In the end we want to drink water. In the same way, without water physical thirst is not satisfied, if God is not present in our spirit, our spiritual thirst will definitely not be satisfied. Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” Man is such a being.

Therefore, no matter how honored you are, no matter how much wealth you have, a life where God is left out of the picture is a thirsty life.  Man wants to flee from that and wants status and honor, wants to get wealth, and be authoritative, but such things can not fill the vacuum in the heart. To fill our spirit we must come to God and seek him. If so, we can receive freely.  You can buy food to nourish yourself and wine to for enjoyment, and milk to make you grow “without money and without cost.” (1)

When I was little my mother often said,” there is nothing more fearful than something that is free.” Something free is unthinkable. To give something for free, is to have a hidden scheme. However, God gives freely. This is called “grace”. It is the grace of God. Moreover, this is the one sided mercy of God. On our human side we can’t add any kind of help in receiving it. We don’t receive it because we did something like if we serve in the church or we pray hard or we do something devotedly. We receive it freely only by the one sided grace of God. It has no relationship to how much you have done before God. It depends only on whether we have come before God or not. It can be received only by coming before God. That is the grace of God. It is the salvation that is given by God. For God’s eyes we are all nothing. We have no value in and of ourselves. However God, by God’s grace says to those that are worthless, deep in sin, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (1)

1. Eat what is good (Vs. 2)

Next, please look at verse 2. “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the riches of fare.”

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (2) There are spiritual blessings that you can’t buy with money. Even though you can receive them freely, you don’t look at them even a little and why do you “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what” (2) you can’t take to heaven and what has no purpose in　heaven? Of course, this does not mean that we must not enjoy life on this earth. Rather, it means to think about what we should invest in and what should be our priorities. We should spend money on and labor for and use our time for things that will last eternally.

About this, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21)

Even if we use the salary that we finally got by working with sweat to get rid of stress by brand items and luxury clothing our hearts can’t be fulfilled. From the moment we buy it, it is already old.  There are times that even before we wear it, a bug eats it and we get a hole or we gain weight and it gets too small. There are times when the car that we finally got a loan for and bought becomes scratched and rusted. Therefore, recently I don’t worry when the car gets hit here and there. Anything that has form gets destroyed,   Therefore, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:20) It is not necessary to buy expensive alcohol to ease oneself. If you listen to “God and eat what is good,” (2) then you can be free from stress and you will become overflowing in joy.

Here it says, “and your soul will delight in the riches of fare.” (2) If you listen to “God and eat what is good,” (2) then “your soul will delight in the riches of fare.” (2)

“What is good” (2) and “the riches of fare” (2) is the opposite of “what is not bread” (2) and “what does not satisfy”.  It is our food and what satisfies us.  That is God’s Word of salvation.  At this time Israel was captured by Babylon. In the midst of such a pagan life they searched for something to fill their hearts. However, there wasn’t anything that satisfied them. Even if they experienced a momentarily feeling of satisfaction, the next moment their stomachs were empty. What can really fill a person’s heart is only God and His Word. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4) This is “what is good”(2) and what is the strength for Israel to overcome the hopeless situation they were put in.

That is the same for us. What do you “spend money on”? What do you labor for? Do you “spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (2) Listen to “God and eat what is good.” (2) Eat “every word that comes from the mouth of God”, (Matt. 4:4) and put your hope in them. If so, then “your soul will delight in the riches of fare.” (2) Jesus Christ will be your water of life, and your bread of life. He will also become you a wine (joy) and also your milk (nutrition for growth). Jesus Christ will be your all in all. If you eat him, in other words, live seeking him, fellowshipping with him, then your life will be overflowing with good things.

1. You may live (Vs. 3-5)

The third point is the result. If you listen to God and come to God, then you will live.  Please look at verse 3.  Here it says, “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”

You may think that you are alive, but that is a temporary thing.  You don’t know how much longer you will be living.  Here what this is talking about is eternal life. Even though you die, you will live. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25) It is the life of living even though you are dead. This life is promised to Christians. Therefore, even if a Christian dies now, he is living. Those who are not Christians are different. If a non Christian dies tonight he will die again.  Death is 2 times, the physical death and the spiritual death. The spiritual death is called the second death and means that you are separated from God eternally. It is written about in Revelations 20:14 and 15. “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  This is in other words, hell. However, Christians only die once. Even though they die physically, they enter heaven and there live eternally with God.  That is eternal life. Life on this earth is 70 or 80 years, at the longest about 100 years. No matter how long you keep going, 120 years at the longest. Everyone always dies. That is 100% so. Then after dying we spiritually die. When a person dies, it is not the end.  After death too we continue to live in our spirit. It is eternally. The world after death is absolutely long. Our life on this earth is just a drop. In a flash it passes by, but your life after death is eternal. Where will you spend your eternal world? Will you spend it in heaven with God? Or will you spend it in Hell in the lake of fire where God does not exist? “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.” (2) If you come to God, listen to God and receive God’s salvation, “your soul may live.” (2)

There were 2 young men who made their living by picket pocking. One day when they passed by a church one of the men felt his heart sting. He thought he wanted to go inside and worship. Therefore, he said to his pal, “Let’s go in and see.” Then the friend turned down the offer.  Consequently the young man went inside and worshipped, but the other young man left.

Then after 20 years the young man who refused to go in the church and went his own way, was serving a sentence in prison for a felony offense.  One day while in the prison the news of the new American President came on the radio. While he heard the news tears came to his eyes. The person who became the new President was his companion that many years ago had worked picket pocketing with him. His friend that had wanted to go inside the church to worship came before God and accepted Christ and changed dramatically and became the president of the country. That person was America’s 20^th President, James Garfield.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

The Gospel changes everything. If anyone comes before the Lord, following the Lord, and eats “what is good” (2), he can experience an amazing life.

Please look at the end of verse 3.  Here it says, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Here in order to show how certain the promise is it is recorded as God’s “faithful love promised to David.” (3) This is II Samuel 7;12-16. This is the prophecy that from the descendants of David the Savior Jesus Christ would be born, and by Him the kingdom would be established.  This would come by the one sided grace of God. David’s covenant was a covenant of grace. It is salvation only just by coming before God and receiving the grace that God gives. If we humble ourselves, just come before God and receive God’s salvation, anyone can be saved. That is the covenant of David.  That became a reality by Jesus Christ who was a descendant of David. Therefore, this is a certain salvation. It has completely no connection with what we do. It is salvation by the one sided grace of God.

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (I John 5:11,12)

“This life is in his Son. He who has the Son” (I John 5:11) in other words, those who believe in the Son, have life.”He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”  (I John 5:12) This is by the Word of God’s promise. Our emotions have nothing to do about it. “He who has the Son has life;” (I John 5:11) It is free.

Do you accept and have assurance of God’s grace that you can experience “without cost”. (1)  According to the world’s economical theory, “without cost” (1) will definitely not obtain good results.  However, God is the most valuable, and he says he will give the best “without cost.” (1)  We only have to believe this truth, come before God, and enjoy this grace.  This is thought to be a very easy thing. However, for us who are used to being on good terms with this world’s thinking it is surprisingly difficult.  We question about God giving us grace without cost. We think that there is nothing more fearful than something that is free.  Then we often pay the price and use effort vainly and “spend money on what is not bread, and…labor on what does not satisfy.” (2)

However, God is saying to stop using such vain effort and to listen to God’s word.  If you “give ear and come to” (3) God, then “your soul may live.” (3) The nature of grace is that there is no cost, but in reality it was not completely without cost.  In reality for that God paid the price that we should have paid.  That was Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. That was because God loves us. Just like a mother who loves the child without conditions and raises him, God loves us, his children with no conditions and raises us up.  Then he fills us with the best things. The beginning of faith is to realize and experience God’s love. Are you coming before God and seeking this grace?

Lastly, let’s look at verse 5. “Surely you will summon nations you know not,and nations that you do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God,the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”

“Nations you know not” (5) are the Gentiles. In the course of time, even the Gentiles will come to Israel and wish that some of their blessings will rub off onto them.  This grace will be such an abundant salvation. You are invited too to such huge blessings.  Today this invitation has been sent to you.  How will you reply to this?

In Matt. 22 “the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who haven invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. …But they paid no attention and went off-one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.” (Matt. 22:2-6) Then he told his servants to “go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone” (Matt. 22:9) they could find.  “So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (Matt. 22:10)

Please don’t reject the invitation of the king. Come before God, and experience the blessings that God gives.  If so, then “your soul may live.” (3)

Today let’s look at the last half of chapter 54 of Isaiah. In the first half of chapter 54 it said, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide.” (2) That’s “because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” (1)  Israel who was captured by Babylon was truly like a “desolate woman”, (1) but the Lord will in due time restore them and they “will spread out to the right and to the left.”(3) In today’s passage too it continues to talk about Israel’s restoration.

Ⅰ．God will make your walls of precious stones (Vs. 11,12)

First of all please look at verses 11 and 12. Here God promises to make Israel like precious stones.

“O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires.  I will make your battlement of rubies,your gates of sparkling jewels,and all your walls of precious stones.”

“O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted” is Israel.  Israel was afflicted by and lashed by the storms of Babylon. However, the Lord says that he will make such an Israel into precious stones. Turquoise is a bluish-green stone. Sapphires and rubies I think you know. Their walls will be of precious stones.  God will make Israel like these precious stones.  It will be just like a beautifully dressed up bride. From head to foot she is decked up and brilliantly shinning. The rock that has been broken to pieces will be restored by God.

Please look at Rev. 21:1-2.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

This is a scene of heaven. Heaven is truly like a bride dressed up for her husband. The prophecy that Isaiah saw was of heaven.  In other words, this isn’t only just a prophecy of Israel who was captured by Babylon being liberated and made into precious stones, but also at the end of the world God’s people, Christians too will be so. It is a two folded prophecy.

In the verses following Rev. 21:10 it says in more detail what the new Jerusalem is like. In verse 11 it says, “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” Verses 18 to 21 say, “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.  The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl.  The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.” Heaven is such a place shining with precious stones. Christians in the course of time will inherit such a heaven.

How wonderful this is! Now for a while we may be afflicted by various problems and “lashed by storms.” (11) We may be only suffering and in the condition of not finding hope anywhere. However, God will surely comfort you. In due time, he will lead you to the heavenly kingdom which is like precious stones.

Ⅱ．A great peace (Vs. 13)

The second point is that your children will have great peace. Please look at verse 13.

“All your sons will be taught by the LORD,  and great will be your children’s peace.”

This is a wonderful promise! We all put ourselves aside and desire that our children become happy.  Our children will all “be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.” (13) Now it may not be so. They may not now know why they are living, but when they realize that they are living for God’s joy and glory, then they will have joy and peace. In the course of time such a time will come.  “All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.” (13)

Do your children have a great peace? Here it says, “be taught by the LORD.” (13)   For your children’s peace to be great they must “be taught by the LORD.” (13) Peace is not something that is obtained automatically.  It is the grace that is brought by being “taught by the LORD.” (13) Why do children rebel against their parents? Why are children anxious? Why are children selfish and self centered? It’s the age we live in…No! It is because they are not “taught by the LORD.” (13) If they are taught by the Lord, “great will be your children’s peace.” (13)

Ephesians 6:1-4 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  ‘Honor your father and mother’ –which is the first commandment with a promise-‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do no exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  How can children be happy and “enjoy long life on the earth”?  (Eph. 6:3) It is by obeying their “parents in the Lord”. (Eph. 6:1)Then the parents are commanded, “do no exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

Looking back on the past, I exasperated my children a lot.  Raising children is not easy. Things don’t go the way you want them to.  However, even though while having such weaknesses, if we bring our children “up in the training and instruction of the Lord,” (Eph. 6:4) the Lord will give peace and will be responsible for bringing them up. Of course, this is not just going through the actions of reading the Bible and praying every day.   Here it says, “in the Lord.” (Eph. 6:1) This is in the Lord’s love and instruction. In any case, what is certain is when your children are taught by the Lord, “great will be your children’s peace.” (13) You may think that your child is still too young to understand, but in reality it is when a child is very small that is the most important time. It seems like they don’t understand at all, but in reality they are soaking it up.  Therefore, whether they understand or don’t understand, if you want them to have a great peace, you must seek to have them receive the Lord’s teaching. Those who think that it is too late because their children have already grown up, must not give up. No matter how big they have gotten if you pray that your child will walk in the Lord and grow, then surely that prayer will be answered.  “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (I John 5;14) Therefore, no matter how old your child gets, don’t give up, but pray. In the course of time your child will look at his parents and your child too will for sure walk in the way of the Lord.

Ⅲ．In righteousness you will be established (Vs. 14-17)

The third point is “in righteousness you will be established.” (14) Please look at verses 14 to 17. I will read verse 14.

“In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you;you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed;it will not come near you.”

Here it insists that “Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear.” (14) That is because “In righteousness you will be established.” (14) “Righteousness” (14) is salvation. We “will be established”(14) by righteousness, by salvation. To be saved is to have a relationship with God.  The first man, Adam and Eve, sinned and fell short of the glory of God.  Even when God called out, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) they weren’t able to answer, “Here I am” .but feared the face of the Lord and hid among the trees of the garden.  In other words, their relationship with God was completely severed.  This is spiritual death. This is hell. Hell is the world where God does not exist.  So there is no joy, and no hope. Constantly you are fearful about something.  Constantly you are anxious about something. However, when you believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, and you are saved of your sin, God’s light floods your dead soul, and it comes back to life. By the interchange with the life of God you are renewed. If God is with us, what do we have to fear? David confessed this, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) If God is with us, even though we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” (Psalm 23:4) we have nothing to fear.

In John Kuuan’s book, A life of thankfulness, 365 days, there is an essay, “Thankfulness from birth to death”. He wrote that there are people who complain with a feast sitting before them and there are people who are thankful with one slice of dry bread. There are people who even though they have been given health, bear a grudge against their environment. There are people who even though have don’t have both arms and legs, they are thankful. There are people who lost only one, but they are angry, and there are people who have lost two, but are thankful.  There are people who are despaired or take their life because they failed.  There are people who are thankful for all the things of their past and are preparing for their future.  There are people who quarrel with those criticize them, or do harm to them. There are people who love their enemies and are thankful. There are people who fear death. There are people who gratefully accept death.

We have many reasons for being thankful: thankful for breathing,        thankful for being able to walk, thankful for eating and sleeping, thankful for husband, wife, and children, thankful for success and failure, thankful for sickness and also health. In reality from the time we are born until the time we die, we have nothing more than thankfulness.

Such thankfulness is truly born from God being with us.  That’s why there are those for whom death is the end of everything and others who are able to gratefully accept death because even if they die God is with them. Therefore, to have a relationship with God is a greater joy than anything else, a blessing. That is “righteousness”. (14) That is salvation. Salvation is to be in a right relationship with God. Such a person has nothing to fear. “Terror will be far removed.” (14)

We live daily in fear. We worry about losing money, about health, about losing our job and losing family. We have such fears.  Besides such fears there are also uncertainties about natural disasters coming upon us.  However, in the midst of such fears, if you believe in Jesus Christ, all your sin will be forgiven and you can be in a right relationship with Jesus Christ. God will be with you. Therefore, you will have nothing to fear. “If God is for us…who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:31,35,37)

Please look at verses 15 to 17. “If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;whoever attacks you will surrender to you. See, it is I who created the blacksmithwho fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.

If anyone attacks Israel, on the contrary, they will surrender to Israel.  For example, Haman who appears in the book of Esther plotted to kill all the Jews and made a gallows seventy-five feet high to hang Mordecai. However, on the contrary, “they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.” (Esther 7:10)  God blesses those who bless Abraham and curses those who curse him. Therefore, if someone  is antagonistic towards Israel, then on the contrary, they will surrender to Israel. That is because Israel was redeemed by God and is the people of God.  It is because God is with them. No matter how much they are attacked, Israel will definitely not surrender.

Also no matter what new weapons the enemy has, it is God “who forges a weapon” (16) so such a weapon will be useless. No one can be antagonistic towards God. Therefore, no matter what happens they will never be shaken.  God is sovereign. He controls all so if we depend upon God there is nothing to fear.

Please look at the last part of verse 17.

“’This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,and this is the vindication from me.’declares the Lord.”

“This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD. (17)  The servant of the Lord are promised this blessing.  If you are the Lord’s servant, then you too are promised this promise. The problem is whether you are a servant of the Lord or not.   Also whether you have received the Lord’s righteousness or not.

Please open your Bibles to II Cor. 5:21.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

God made his only son, Jesus Christ “sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21)

Therefore, if you would like to receive God’s righteousness, you must believe in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sin as your Savior. If so, you can receive the righteousness of God. That righteousness has no conditions. It is offered to                    you. If you believe in Jesus and receive God’s righteousness, you will in the course of time receive the glory that is promised here. “In righteousness you will be established.” (14) Your children too will have a great peace. No matter what kind of fears you are in, you will definitely not be shaken. You will be able to continue standing firmly. God will always be with you and watch over you. What amazing grace! Please accept this grace. Believe in Jesus and receive God’s righteousness, and receive the blessing of this heritage. This salvation is being offered to you..

Today let’s look at Isaiah 54.  Last time we looked at what could be said to be the climax of Isaiah.  That was that God’s chosen servant was a servant of suffering. It was a prophecy that “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.” (5) That was for us. By that God’s righteousness came to many people. That result is chapter 54. To be said in one word, it is “the promise of restoration. God’s people who were in the condition of being abandoned from God will be restored.  With huge expectations and joy they will return to their homeland. Then Israel will once again be established as a country. How will God restore Israel?

1. Enlarge the place of your tent (vs. 1-3)

First of all please look at verses 1 to 3.  I will read verse 1.

he “barren woman“ (1) is Israel.  Also “you who were never in labor“ (1) is also Israel.  They were destroyed by Babylon and became like women who can’t bear children. To such an Israel the Lord says, “sing“ (1) and “burst into song, shout for joy“. (1) That is “because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” (1) “The desolate woman“ (1)  is also Israel. They were destroyed by Babylon in 586B.C. and became a captive people. That was truly like a “desolate woman“. (1) However in the latter days they will not be so. They will become more “than of her who has a husband.” (1) They will bring birth to much more offspring than the ordinary women who had no problem in bearing children.

That is just like Hannah that appears in the Old Testament. She was a barren woman and couldn’t bear any children. Her husband, Elkanah, had another wife, Peninnah. She was blessed with children and had many children.  This was trying and painful for Hannah. It couldn’t be helped so while in agony she prayed at the Lord’s temple.   Then the Lord answered her prayers. A boy, Samuel, was born. That’s not all.  After that 7 sons and daughters were born.  She said, “She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.” (I Samuel 2:5)

To be put in other words, it was an incredible recovery. A blessing will come that Israel had never thought of before. It will so great that the place that they are living in now will become cramped.  Therefore, what God says is written in verses 2 and 3.

Verses 2 & 3

Israel by Babylon had completely lost everything, but the Lord will restore them again. They “will spread out to the right and to the left.” (2) Their “descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.” (2) Therefore, “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (2)

Even today in the Middle East there are nomads called Bedouins. When their family gets bigger and their tents are cramped, they tie tents together and enlarge their place of living.  Like this, the descendants of Israel will increase and their place of living will be enlarged and widen. Israel who was in 70 A.D. destroyed by Rome and dispersed throughout the whole world according to the promise of God returned to Palestine and the country of the Republic of Israel was established. That was in May 1948.  After that many Jews have returned to Israel and it continued to increase to 3,750.000 people in 1980 and to 7,870,000 last year in 2013. It is just as the Bible promised. They will “spread out to the right and to the left” (2) and settle in “desolate cities.” (2) Therefore, “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide,

That isn’t just a promise to the Jewish people.  This can also be said of those who have believed in Jesus Christ and have been saved, in other words of Christians, the spiritual Israelites. In the course of time God will explosively increase the amount of people who believe in Jesus Christ and are saved. Now it may be like the “barren woman… who never bore a child” (1), but in the course of time there will be more children “than of her who has a husband.” (1) Therefore, we must “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, don’t hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (2) It will certainly happen so we must prepare before then not after it happens.

This passage spurred William Carrey, the 18^th century missionary to India who is called the father of missions, on to world missions.  About this passage he said, “Expect great things from God. Plan great things for God.” He said that God will enlarge it so expect great things from God.

Also the father of the Salvation Army, William Booth’s mother from the time he was still an infant always said to him as he was growing up, “The world is waiting for you.”  She brought him up saying, “you are going to grow and grow and grow up to be a vessel that will be used for God’s great work.” She had the assurance that William would be used in God’s great plan and daily challenged him by saying this.

We are also the same. We should expect great things from God. We should undertake great things for God’s glory. Not for our honor, but for God’s honor.  Let’s enlarge the place of our tent, stretch our “tent curtains wide, don’t hold back;” (2) Let’s lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes. Then let’s receive the blessing of what God does.

1. You will not suffer shame  (Vs. 4-6)

Next please look at verses 4 to 6. Verse 4 says, “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

“The shame of your youth” (4) and “the reproach of your widowhood” (4) refers to the time when Israel was taken by Babylon.  They lost their language, lost their culture, and could not worship the God of Israel freely.  Of course, they lost the temple.  That was for them real shame, guilt, and an insult. However, now there is nothing to be afraid of. That is because they “will not suffer shame.” (4)

Please look at verse 5. “For your Maker is your husband-the LORD Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;he is called the God of all the earth.”

Here God calls himself, “your husband”. (5) “Your Maker is your husband.” (5) In other words, God and Israel’s relationship is spoken figuratively as a relationship of a married couple.  “Your husband” (4) is “your Maker”. (4) His name is “the LORD Almighty.” (5) He is “the Holy One of Israel” (5) and “the God of all the earth.” (5) He is the husband of Israel.  If so, there is nothing that they need to fear. He will take full responsibility and will save them.

Then verse 6 says, “The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.”

The relationship between God and Israel from the beginning was the relationship of a married couple. It was based on a covenantal relationship of love and truth. Even so, Israel turned its back on her husband, God, and committed the sin of adultery.  They worshipped idols.  Therefore, God abandoned them temporarily. Therefore, they are here called, “a wife deserted and distressed in spirit.” (6) Their condition when they were taken by Babylon was truly like this.  However, God has not abandoned them. This verse begins with, “the Lord will call you back.” (6) God is looking at Israel who betrayed the marital relationship as “a wife who married young.” (6) No matter what God’s love doesn’t change. We are not truthful, but God is true. God is faithful to the end to the covenant that he made with us.

In the Bible the Church is Christ’s bride. The Groom, Christ, by his own blood redeemed her.  Therefore we have been joined with the Christ, the Groom. I am a man, but a bride. Like marriage we are joined together in a strong relationship. That means that the Groom, Christ, will no matter what never abandon us. To the end He will take care of us.

Only now, more than already being in an officially married relationship, it may be better said that we are in the condition of being engaged. That is because Christ hasn’t still returned. When Christ returns, we will officially become Christ’s bride.  Like this we will be with the Lord forever.  That is called in Revelations “the wedding of the lamb.” (Rev. 19:7) That is the time when we will really marry.

However, Jesus will never break off the engagement. That is because there is a guarantee. The guarantee is the Holy Spirit. God gave us his own Spirit as a guarantee that he will someday marry us.  Therefore, it will certainly happen. At that time we will be forever with the Lord. No matter what, he will not abandon us. This is really a great encouragement, isn’t it?

1. Eternal kindness (Vs. 7-10)

Lastly let’s look at verses 7 to 10. First please look at verses 7 and 8. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.  In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness [loving-kindness; loyalty; covenant love] I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.”

The Lord “for a brief moment…abandoned” (7) Israel.  More that abandoning,  it is better said that the Lord for a brief moment punished Israel. The Lord sent Israel to Babylon, but he didn’t give her a certificate of divorce and kick her out completely. It was for a mere 70 years.  To say 70 years, seems like a lot of years, but “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (II Peter 3:8) Therefore, that it was “for a brief moment”. (7) Normally it would not be strange for them to have been abandoned eternally, but even so God didn’t do that. “For a brief moment” (7) he abandoned them, “but with deep compassion” (7) he brought them back.

The origin of this word “compassion” is “internal organs“ so it means that the heart is moved to the point that the internal organs are shaken up.  It means to have deep sympathy. Even if Israel who one-sidedly betrayed God, who showed no compunction about turning their backs on God was abandoned “for a brief moment,” (7) God will “with deep compassion” (7) bring them back.  God’s compassion never runs out. It’s limitless. It is inexhaustible. It is an inestimable compassion and you too are also the object of this compassion.

Please look at verse 8. Here it says, “In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness  I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.”

The Lord will “with everlasting kindness…will have compassion.” (8) The center of the marriage ceremony is the vows. “I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” However, how much of this vow is being fulfilled? It’s been a while back, but it was said that one fourth of all couples that marry in Japan get divorced.  That’s one couple ever 2 minutes and eighteen seconds.  If either one of the partners break the vow, then at that point, the agreement is not being met. However, God no matter how much we betray him, doesn’t ever renounce the agreement. Until the very, very, very end God takes care of us. God’s loving kindness is everlasting.  It doesn’t matter whether we follow him or don’t follow him. God’s loving kindness is one sided.

It isn’t the “if” kind of conditional love. It doesn’t have conditions such as if you have money, if you have talent, if you do what I say, or if you can cook. It is “in spite of” love.  In other words it is love without conditions. That is the love that Jesus showed on the cross.

Romans 5:6-8 says, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

When we were still powerless,” (Romans 5:6) in other words, even though we were enemies with God, “still sinners”, (Romans 5:8) Christ willingly “died for us” (Romans 5:8) on the cross.  “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ” (Romans 5:7,8)  In other words, love is a hard thing, going to the point of giving your life. However, has our love really been true?

The writer Ayako Miura in her book, “There is a road” she said that she wondered if a bear came out when she was walking together with her husband, Mitsuyo             Miura, if she would leave her husband and flee or not. Ayako Miura was born and raised in Asahikawa. Therefore, from the time she was little she heard stories of bears as she grew up so she had the image of a bear being a very big enemy. Consequently, she thought if a bear came out, she would probably leave her husband and run like a rabbit.  Her husband is full of integrity.  When Ayako Miura was in the hospital for　12 years with spinal carries, he waited for 5 years for her while she was undergoing medical treatment, and then married the 2 year older Ayako. It was good that the sickness got better because if it hadn’t gotten better, he might have waited forever and ever. Therefore, she intends of course with thankful thoughts to love her husband. However, that is simply an intention, and when the time came she doesn’t know what she will do.  Even if she meets a bear she definitely won’t yell out, “Mitsuyo, I’ll let the bear eat me so hurry and flee!” She says that she is bound to push him towards the bear and quickly flee.

Emergencies may bring out such barbarity and cruelty, but man is human. However God’s love is different. God loved us so much that he gave his most important life. That is the love of Christ’s cross.

In Sept. of 1954 the Tōya Maru Ferry sank during typhoon 15 in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū. It is said that 1,155 people aboard were killed in the accident. This incident was the biggest casualty in Japanese sea disaster history. When Toya Maru beached onto Nanae Beach, on the outskirts of Hakodate, there weren’t enough life jackets. Two missionaries, Dean Leeper　and　Alfred Russell Stone were riding on the Toya Maru.  Each of them gave their life jackets to Japanese youths. They said “Now in Japan you young people are necessary” then the 2 missionaries lost their lives in the foreign sea.  At that time Leeper was 33 years old and Stone was 52 years old.  Leeper had a wife and 4 children.

In the midst of a storm and the ship that you are riding in turns over, can you really do a sacrificial act of giving your life jacket to another person? It is a desperate time for you. No one can make you take the rouble to take off the life jacket that you have put on yourself. Even if you didn’t do it, no one will criticize. Everyone wants to live. It is a time when no one has time to think about others.

In such an emergency the two missionaries gave the life jackets that should have saved their lives to total strangers, youths of another country they had just met..

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Christ to save you, me, and all the people in the world from sin was put on the cross and died in our place. It doesn’t matter what kind of person you or I are. He loves you with unconditional love. Please believe in the Savior and make eternal life yours.  If so, you too will receive encouragement. No matter what difficulties, what hopeless conditions there are, you won’t be depressed, and will be able to sing joyfully in the  hope that never changes.

Please look at verses 9 and 10. “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of  Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you. never to rebuke you again.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

“This” (9) is that God will not be angry again or rebuke them again.”This is like the days of Noah.” (9) God promised to never send a flood to destroy the world again. Like this God is promising that he will not destroy Israel.  The sign of the covenant is the cross.  In Noah’s age it was the rainbow.  When the rainbow is in the sky, God looks at it, and remembers the eternal covenant between God and all flesh on the earth. Now the sign of the covenant is the cross.  When God looks at the cross, it is a sign of the covenant, and the promise that he will never judge all people. If you look at Jesus who was put on the cross and died in your place, from the time that you say that you believe in Jesus, God’s wrath will for sure not come upon you. Christ took everything upon himself, and received that punishment on the cross.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16,17)

Let’s read verse 10 together. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10) This love is called “Hesed” in Hebrew.  This is the mercy that God gives specially to his people.  This love has been given so we can love each other. Therefore, these are wonderful words. This is the love of God that is poured out on His people.  It is God’s mercy.  Also “nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10) This “peace” is “shalom”. This is not just not having war and not having fighting, but a positive state of rightness and well-being. Such peace only comes from the Lord.

Is there anyone here that is concerned about problems of health or job or are carrying the load of problems at school? Is there anyone who thinks he is at the end of his rope and that God has abandoned him? Please be relieved. From the moment you believe in Jesus Christ you will enter into the covenant of the everlasting kindness of God. No matter what happens that promise will not be broken. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed,” (10) you will definitely not be shaken. Therefore, even if before our eyes something that is unthinkable happens, even if you are suffering from something that you think that no one knows about happens, even if you are suffering so much that you forget about God, please remember that God’s “unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10)

Today’s passage is the last part of the fourth song of the servant that begins in 52:13. In the first part we saw the hardships that the servant received. In other words, “he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” (4) That was for our sin, our iniquities. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.” (5)
The result of him being crushed like that and what happened is written about in today’s passage. In other words, the servant looked at those who were redeemed and was satisfied. Everything didn’t end at death. It was connected to eternal life.

I. The servant who was taken away (Vs. 7-9)
First please look at verses 7 to 9. Verse 7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
“He” (7) is of course Jesus Christ. Christ was “afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (7) The reason why is because if Jesus had opened his mouth, in a moment all the people on the earth would have perished. Jesus probably had things that he wanted to say, but he didn’t. If he said something then he wouldn’t have been able to take upon himself all transgressions so he was silent. I Peter 2:22 to 24 says, “’He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”
The reason that Christ “did not open his mouth” (7) was because “’He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (I Peter 2:24) In other words, Christ “did not open his mouth” (7) and was silent for us.
The opposite is sinners have a habit of always opening their mouths. They make excuses for things and say things that aren’t necessary. They say things like, “It couldn’t be helped.” “It wasn’t me.” “It was because that person told me to.” Etc. However, Jesus was silent. “He did not open his mouth.” (7) No matter how disadvantageous evidence was given “he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (I Peter 2:23) When Jesus stood before Judah’s governor, Pilate, he was asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Matt. 27:11) Jesus only answered, “Yes, it is as you say.” (Matt. 27:11) He didn’t say anything else. That was because he knew it was God’s will. I think that he had a lot he wanted to say, but if he did that God’s will wouldn’t be accomplished, so “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (7)
Please look at verse 8. Here it says, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.”
Jesus was oppressed, judged, and killed. This was at the age of 33, the prime of his life. At that time he was killed. The reason is in verse 9. “Though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” It was for our transgressions. No one at that time knew that.
The words of verses 7 and 8 are quoted in Acts 8:32. The Ethiopian eunuch who served the queen of the Ethiopians “had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading” (Acts 8:27) this passage. When he was thinking about what it meant God sent the evangelist Philip to him. He was reading this passage so Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30) Then the eunuch replied “How can I…unless someone explains it to me?” (Acts 8:31) Then Philip explained to him that the passage was pointing to Jesus of Nazareth. Then the Eunuch understood that Jesus died on the cross for him and joyfully accepted what God had done. When they came to some water, the eunuch asked, “”Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (Acts 8:36) Then they stopped the chariot. “Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” (Acts 8:38)
You can be baptized anywhere there is water. If there is anyone today who wants to believe there is water here too so please be baptized. You can believe in Jesus at any time. At any time you can be baptized. If you realize that Jesus took upon himself all your sins on the cross, you will be joyous. Your sins will be forgiven and you will not face the second death. That is a huge joy. When the Ethiopian eunuch came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit took Philip away so he couldn’t be seen anymore. However, the Bible says that the eunuch went home in joy. People who believe in Jesus have joy.
Please look at verse 9. Here it says, “He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
And with the rich in his death,
Though he had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in his mouth.”
“He was assigned a grave with the wicked” (9) is that he will die with the two other prisoners on the cross. Those who condemned him assumed that he would be buried with executed criminals. “With the rich in his death” is that he will be buried in a rich man’s grave. Jesus’ body was buried in the grave of Joseph of Arimathea. According to Matthew 27:57, he was a rich man. Truly Jesus is the Lord’s servant, the Messiah, the Savior who for our transgressions was punished and “was cut off from the land of the living.” (8) This Messiah died for you on the cross. If you recognize this, accept and believe in Him as your Savior and Lord, then this joy will come to you too.

II. The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand (Vs.10-11)
Next let’s look at verse 10 and the first half of verse 11. First please look at verse 10. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”
Here is a great truth. That is the servant being crushed and inflicted is the will of God. The reason that we can say this is the will of God is because if he “makes his life a guilt offering, (10) then he will see his offspring and prolong his days.” (10) In many cases, even if you work hard, if you die you can’t know the result. However, the Lord’s servant will see the result of his work of suffering. As it says in verse 11 he will see the result of the suffering of his soul and be satisfied. He will see the fruit that atonement of the cross brought and will be satisfied.
Hebrews 12:2 says, “Jesus…who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This is “the joy set before him.” (Hebrews 12:2) In other words, Jesus by being put on the cross, he will see the eternal life that comes to those who believe in the atonement of the cross. This is the joy of the servant. For this joy Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Hebrews 12:2)
This is just like a mother’s labor pains. Even though mothers have terrible pain and suffering in birth, they can put up with it because they have this joy. That is the joy of a new life coming. They see this new life and are satisfied. The pain wasn’t a painful handicap. This pain was not unprofitable. A cute baby will be born. They go to the point of such pain to have a child because someone of more value will be born. When they receive it causes them to forget all the pain, all the suffering, and all the hardship. A new life has that much joy. “After the suffering” (11) they are satisfied. If you are saved, how much Jesus will rejoice! He will look at you saved and “be satisfied.” (11)
However, this was not an easy thing. For Jesus to give his life as a guilt offering wasn’t that easy of a thing. Even if he knew that was God’s plan and he knew that is why he came into this world, still it wasn’t something that he could do easily. Therefore, Jesus with the cross in front of him prayed in the garden of Gethsemane like this. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Jesus prayed, “take this cup from me.” (Luke 22:42) That is because it means that his relationship with God the Father will be severed. Though it was for people’s sin, for that purpose “he was punished. (8) and cut off from God which was the most fearful thing for Jesus. That is because God, the trinity, had from the beginning of eternity never been separated even for a moment. To be separated from God and to lose his relationship with God was the most fearful thing for Jesus.
It should be the same for us too. The most fearful thing for us is to lose our relationship with God. That is the most fearful thing for us. That is because it means hell. However, if you believe in Jesus, God will forgive your sin, and will be with you forever, and will have a relationship with you. This is eternal life. If you have that, you have nothing to fear. Our greatest joy and blessing is having God with us, God’s presence.
However, for Jesus to be separated from God even for even a moment is unthinkable. Therefore, Jesus prayed, “take this cup from me.” (Luke 22:42) Jesus being in anguish “prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Even so he drank the cup to the last drop. Then he will see the eternal life that comes to those who believe in the atonement of the cross. This is joy! For this joy Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) How about you? For this joy are you joyfully carrying the cross that is before your eyes? Jesus said this. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 24)
In reality, they bear fruit. In the course of time, you too will see your offspring and your days will be prolonged. After you have suffered you will see the fruit of your suffering and you will be satisfied. The problem is where you are looking and what you are looking at. Let’s not look at the sufferings that are before our eyes, but at the glory that is ahead of it. If you do that, then “the will of the LORD will prosper in “(10) your hand.

III. The servant who intercedes (Vs. 11-12)
Lastly let’s look at the end of verse 11 and verse 12. “by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
“My righteous servant” (11) is of course Jesus. Jesus “will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” (11) “His knowledge” (11) is the knowledge of Jesus. By the knowledge of Jesus many will be justified. This is the knowledge that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5) This is the plan of salvation that God ordained from the beginning of eternity. “By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many.” (11)
Therefore God “will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong.” (12) “The great” (12) and “the strong” (12) refer to those who are justified by the knowledge of Jesus. In other words, it is the children of God. Just like in war when the conquerors who won the war plunder the spoils, the Lord’s servant, Jesus, by his suffering and resurrection, had victory over evil spirits, Satan, who rules over all the darkness of the world so he set free those people who were prisoners there.
That’s not all. The servant “bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (12) He redeemed you. As his own possession he didn’t just toss them out, but even now is alive and interceding for you. He is always praying for you.
Romans 8:34 says, “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Also Hebrews 7:25 too says, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Jesus didn’t just die on the cross. He died and then rose again. He rose and then ascended into heaven and sits enthroned on the right hand of God. That is to intercede for you. He is alive now praying for you so that your faith won’t die, so that you will have victory over various difficulties. To live putting all in the hands of God is so comforting! We now in this world have many struggles. Sometimes we are almost broken, but Jesus was put on the cross for us, and 3 days later rose again. Then when we remember that now too He is praying for us, real encouragement will be given to us.
A music group, Noah, has a song “I can hear”.
Don’t give up.
You can always hear Jesus’ encouragement
In trials too there is joy
In hardships too there is light.
In the Lord’s hands I’m remade.
Ah, surrounded in the Lord’s love, I shine.
Indeed because we have Jesus’ encouragement, even if we are in the midst of trials or in the midst of suffering, we can move on without giving up.
A girl was saved and got married when I pastored a church in Fukushima. Now she is serving in Tokyo as a pastor’s wife. Her second child was born premature weighing 1,260 grams. There was a problem with the nerves for language and he remained unable to speak. When she thought about why this happened she was given one passage of scripture. That was John 9:3. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned… but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” That was a huge encouragement for her. She had been depressed thinking that she had done something bad so this had happened, but that was no so. When she realized that it “happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life,” (John 9:3) she prayed that “the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)
Then last year at the end of summer vacation when he went to kindergarten, suddenly the child started talking. There was a huge commotion in the kindergarten. “Joshua talked!” The principal cried out of joy. When she took him to the doctor, he said that the child could go to an elementary school that doesn’t have a speech program.
No matter if the Lord bore our iniquities and died and rose again and accomplished the work of salvation, if we don’t believe in that atonement it has no meaning at all. When we accept the fact that the Lord’s servant’s suffering was for us and believe in him, then we become a part of the “great” and we can receive a part of God’s great work. Please believe and receive through Jesus the work of salvation, the atonement of the cross. You too can receive this abundant grace of salvation.

Today I would like to talk about “The greatest love” from the first part of Isaiah 53. This is one part of the 4th servant’s song which began in Isaiah 52:13. Here the reason is written as to why the Lord’s servant must suffer. That is because of our sin. In other words it was a substitutional death.
Since Jesus Christ began his work up until now, many people have misunderstood the cross. They say that if Jesus was the Messiah, why did he have to be put on a cross and die. The cross is “a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (I Cor. 1:23) However, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) It is the greatest love. Today let’s look at 3 things about the greatest love.

I. Who has believed? (Vs. 1)
First let’s look at verse 1. “Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? “Our message” (1) is the good news concerning God’s salvation. “Who has believed” (1) this wonderful message of salvation? These words are quoted in John 12:38 and Romans 10:16. In these passages even though this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, no one believed. That was because Jesus’ appearance was so far from their image of the Messiah. The Messiah that they believed in would restore Israel politically and militarily. Although they waited expectantly for a political Messiah who would set them free from their Roman control, Jesus wasn’t like this. Jesus came to save us from sin which was the root cause of such problems. Therefore, they weren’t able to receive Jesus as the Messiah.
Every age is the same. No matter how much the Gospel is preached, not many people try to believe. Even if we speak about the message, about what we have experienced, about the good news that we have received, people don’t try to believe. However, even so we must not stop talking. That is because we have been changed into believers.
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Faith begins by hearing, by hearing Word of God about Jesus. Therefore, if we want people to believe, we must tell them about the good news of Christ. Without hearing they can’t believe. You may think that it is meaningless to tell someone about Christ because you think they won’t listen or that they have no interest in the Bible and no desire to believe, but even so we must tell them. That is how wonderful the news is. If so, even among people that you would think no one would believe, God will definitely raise up people who believe.
II. The servant who was despised (Vs. 2-3)
“To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (1) Please look at verses 2 and 3. “He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men.”
In 11:1 too the word, “a tender shoot” (2) appears. This “tender shoot” (2) and the “tender shoot” that appears in 11:1 are different words. This “tender shoot” (2)　is a sucker. A sucker is a shoot which grows from a bud at the base of a tree or shrub or from its roots. It is called a sucker because it sucks up the energy from the mother plant. Therefore, it is like a baby, powerless, and can’t live without its mother. It means he will be born in a weak appearance. His beginnings will be humble.
Also it says, “like a root out of dry ground.” (2) There isn’t much promise for “a root out of dry ground”. (2) In the same way Jesus’ origins brought little promise. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) He grew up in such humble, unpromising circumstances.
Therefore, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2) “He” (2) is of course Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2) Usually we have an image of Jesus having long hair, a beautiful complexion, blue eyes, wearing white clothes with a glow about them, but this passage is different. We have such an image because of paintings and movies about Christ, but in reality he was much different. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2)
If you look at the Gospels, when Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers they didn’t know who Jesus was. Therefore, so they would know, Judah kissed him. It was a sign to show them who Jesus was. He was an average man, no different from the people around him, so if he wasn’t kissed, then the soldiers wouldn’t know who to arrest. Within him he had God’s glory and brilliance. He was overflowing with kindness and love, but “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2)
Please look at verse 3. Here it says, “He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Even though Jesus didn’t do even one despising thing; even though he didn’t do one bad thing, he was rejected, “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (3) Men hid their faces from him and no one esteemed him. Even so, he gave his life, and from his heart served other people for their happiness. He healed the sick, cast out demons, comforted the tired and struggling. He forgot that he didn’t have time to eat, gave up sleeping, and grounded himself to powder serving others. Even so people rejected him and continued to shout “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
He was “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (3) The Hebrew word for “sorrows” (3) is used for both physical and mental pain and refers to all various kinds of sorrows including to those hurts that are so deep that they lead to death. He was “familiar with suffering” experiencing all the sufferings that we experience. He took upon himself the curse of sin, “painful toil…all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:16) “Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (3)
This is because Jesus was not the Messiah that they had hoped for. What they were looking for after all was a Messiah that would set Israel free from Roman rule and bring the kingdom of God on this earth. However, Jesus wasn’t like this. How weak he was. He was all withered up, “He had no beauty…. to attract us to him.” (2) He wasn’t a striking Messiah. Said in one word, it wasn’t what they were expecting, a disappointment.
Therefore, few “believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed.” (1) “The arm of the LORD” (1) is the power of God, especially God’s power to save. In other words, “the arm of the LORD” (1) was revealed through the suffering of the servant especially by his substitutionary death on the cross. However, people didn’t believe in either the message or the power of “the arm of the LORD” (1) The servant “was despised and rejected by men.” (3)

III. The servant who took our sins (Vs. 4-6)
The reason why the servant was so despised is given in verse four. Please look at verse 4. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”
“He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” (4) However, we were wrong. We thought the servant was punished for his sins and iniquities, but in reality that is not so. It was for us. “He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” (4)
Please look at verse 5. It says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us
peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
The servant was pierced and crushed for our sins　and iniquities. Here the words “pierced” and “crushed” are used. This truly express the suffering that Jesus Christ received on the cross.
This prophecy was told 700 years before Christ was born so Isaiah didn’t see the cross and prophesize. However, the description is as if people who stood looking at the foot of the cross are talking. Some people say that this servant is the Persian King Cyrus or the Israelites, but if you look at the description you will clearly see that that is not so. This is expressing perfectly Jesus being pierced on the cross and crushed.
However, for what purpose was the servant’s suffering? Why did Christ have to be put on a cross and die? It was for us: for our sins and iniquities. “He was pierced” (5) and crushed and suffered that much as a substitute for us. By his punishment we have peace “and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)
In verse 6 it says, “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God put the sin of all of mankind on top of him. The sin of all of mankind! It wasn’t just my sin, one person’s sin. It was for all of mankind’s sin. Though my sin, one person’s sin, is considerably heavy, if you say the sin of all of mankind, how heavy it must be!
At present there are approximately 7,145,000,000 people. It is increasing by 137 people every minute, 70,000,000 every year. When I studied this in Junior High school, if I remember right, it was 4,300,000,000 people so since that time we can see that it has increased considerably. Moreover, it isn’t just the sin of the people living now, but includes the sin of all people who have ever lived on this earth since the beginning of history. “The LORD has laid on him” (6) the sin of all men from the time the first man Adam was created up until now.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2)
Jesus became “the atoning sacrifice for…the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2) and died on the cross. That was for our sins. He became the substitution for our sins. That is “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21). Please also open your Bibles to II Cor. 5:21. Let’s read together.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21)
In Israel so that many people’s sins would be forgiven a lamb was slaughtered instead. By the blood being poured out, men’s sin was forgiven and by eating the meat, life was kept in man’s body. In other words, lambs were animals that showed the power of salvation and the power of atonement. Then Jesus Christ became the lamb of God and died.
As you know, when Israel was set free from slavery in Egypt, lambs were slaughtered and their blood was put on the top and sides of the door posts. By that the Israelites were safe from God’s plague and were able to leave Egypt. In reality, this event of the Exodus became a reality by blood of the Passover lamb. Jesus was truly the lamb of the Passover. Jesus set those who are slaves to sin free by His blood. Therefore, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) John is saying that by the slaughter of the Lamb of the Passover, the sin of the entire world was removed. In this way atonement became a reality. The cross of Jesus that appears in the Gospels is for me and also for you and is also the atonement for the entire world.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way” (6) The Bible calls this sin. The meaning of the Greek word for sin is “missing the mark”. In order to forgive our sin God laid the punishment of our sin on the servant. By the servant receiving our punishment as a substitute of us, all of our sin is forgiven. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)
How thankful we can be! The people of this world say the cross is stupid or a failure, but it is the greatest show of God’s love for us.
An orphanage in France had a special rule. That was when a child that caused a problem was being punished, if someone wanted to be punished instead of the that child, that person would be punished.
One day a huge incident occurred. A child stabbed another child’s arm with a knife. The child who swung the knife around was locked up in dark room. The director of the orphanage asked the children, “Is there anyone among you that wants to substitute being punished by being locked up in a dark room?” Then surprisingly, the child that had been stabbed by knife raised his hand. Finally, the child who had been stabbed by the knife as a substitute was locked up in the dark room and the child who had swung the knife around was set free. The child who was set free was deeply moved. Even though while by his fault the other child had been badly hurt, that child said that he would receive his punishment. When he was touched by the other child’s love, a little at a time his heart showed change.
Like the child who had been injured being closed up in a dark room as a substitute, God’s child, Jesus, was trampled upon and whipped for us who are suffering from the punishment of our sins and infirmities. The Lord became a substitute for us and was smitten on the cross. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)

You may be suffering from some kind of problem. If so, please look to Christ who was hung on the cross. Christ took on all your sufferings and died. So that you would not have to suffer Christ became your substitute. Of course, all people Christians and non-Christians suffer, but Christ has become your substitute for the root problem of our sufferings, sin. Therefore, the only thing that is necessary for you to do is to believe in Jesus Christ who died in place of you as your Savior. If so, the root cause of all of your worries, all of your pains, all of your suffering, sin, will be healed. The cross of Christ is the greatest love of Christ. It is the root of your life’s blessings and glory. Please accept God’s love for you. If so, you too can receive God’s love and forgiveness and peace and healing in Christ.

Today let’s look at the last half of Isaiah chapter 52.
First of all, I would like to talk about what kind of passage this is. This passage is the so-called song of the Lord’s servant. In Isaiah there are four passages which refer to Jesus Christ as the servant of the Lord. The first song of the servant is2:1-4. There it talks about the Lord’s calling. Then the second song of the servant is 49:1-6. It is about the Lord’s mission. In other words, the purpose for the Lord’s servant’s coming is written about. Then the third servant’s song is 50:4-9. It tells how the Lord’s servant will accomplish it. That is through the cross. Today’s passage is the fourth song of the servant. That continues until the end of chapter 53. Here is written the reason why the Lord’s servant must receive such suffering. In other words, it was the sacrifice of death. I would like to divide this passage and look at it in three parts. Today will be the first time to look at it.

I. The exalted servant of the Lord (Vs. 13)
First of all, please look at verse 13. “See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”
“My servant” (13) is of course Jesus Christ. Here it says, “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) That is because he “will act wisely”. (13) “Act wisely” (13) means to be obedient to the Word of God. As a result “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) To “be raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (13) shows that the servant will be raised and lifted up to a height greater than anyone else can attain. He isn’t just a whimsical idea, but “will act wisely” according to God’s carefully planned eternal plan based upon God’s knowledge. Isaiah said to look at this servant of the Lord.
Please look at Philippians 2:6-11. Here too describes what the exalted Jesus Christ is like. “Who, being in the very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness,
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11)
God exalted Christ, “and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11) Christ was given “the name that is above every name,” (Phil. 2:9) and was exalted above all other things. Rather, if you look at Hebrews 1:3 and I Peter 3:22 he was exalted so high that he sits at the right hand of God in heaven. God’s servant, Jesus Christ, is like this. We must look at the Lord Jesus.
When this is said, there are some people that say that the servant isn’t Jesus Christ. For example, the Jewish scholar, Meir Ben Simeon, claims that the servant of the Lord isn’t Jesus. He said that Christians say that this is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, but if that is so, why is he called “my servant” (13)? He says that if Jesus is God’s son, God himself; if He is one with God, then he wouldn’t be called “servant” and it would not be necessary for him to be exalted. For this reason the Jews while believing in the Old Testament as the Word of God, even up until today, firmly deny that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
For the same reason the Jehovah’s Witnesses too refuse to accept Jesus as God. Their thinking is different than the Jews. They believe that Jesus is the child of God, Christ, the Savior, but that he is not God. They deny that Christ is God. They say that it is unthinkable that the servant of Lord would be God.
However, here it says clearly, “my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) This shows that he will be raised and lifted up to a height greater than anyone else can attain and was exalted so high that he sits at the right hand of God. The Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ was like this. We must look to him.

II. The humiliation of the Lord’s servant (Vs. 14-15)
The second point is why the servant was so highly exalted. Let’s read verse 14 and the beginning of verse 15. “Just as there were many who were appalled at you- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness-
so will he sprinkle many nations.”
Here it is written that the Lord’s servant so that he would be exalted acted by an adequate plan. This was the cross. Here it says, “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) The Lord’s servant suffered this much so therefore God exalted him. Let’s open our Bibles to Mark 15:16-24.
“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the Place of the Skull), Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each one got.”
This is really the hardship that God’s servant, Jesus Christ, received. It was that prophecy. Christ was completely sinless, but He was struck, beaten, stripped and whipped, and given a good licking. Also “they put a purple robe on him,” (Mark 15:17) put a crown of thorns on his head, “spit on him,” (Mark 15:19) and made fun of him calling out “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mark 15:18) Then to cap it all they nailed him to the cross. “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14)
Have you seen the movie “Passion” by Mel Gibson? In this movie Jesus appears so drenched in blood that it is so tragic that many people couldn’t watch it. There were scenes that were that tragic. However, that was definitely not an exaggerated expression. Here “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) The Lord’s servant Jesus Christ suffered that much.
“Just as there were many who were appalled at you.” (14) This “you” (14) is not the Lord’s servant. This is Israel. In other words, “just as there were many who were appalled” (14) by seeing Israel captured by Babylon and receiving terrible suffering, the Lord’s servant too will receive terrible suffering. The sufferings that Israel received and the sufferings that the Lord’s servant received are different in its source of cause and degree, but if you were to compare them, then they are really like that. For what purpose was the suffering?
Please look at the first line of verse 15. Here it says, “so will he sprinkle many nations.” This passage prophesies that the servant will take sin upon himself and die on the cross so this is the blood that will be shed. In Hebrews 9:22 it says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” By Jesus’ blood being sprinkled on many people, their sin was forgiven. The servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ, will like this do the work of forgiving many people of their sins. Therefore, “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) Phil. 2 that we read earlier was also the same. Jesus Christ “Who, being in the very nature God,” (Phil. 2:6) didn’t stick to the thinking that he was God, but “but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (Phil. 2:7-11) Christ was exalted because of his humiliation. He was humiliated to the point of becoming “obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8) By this he completed the work of purification of many people’s sin by the sprinkling of his blood.
Last week was Christmas, but the in the Christmas story Christ was born in a barn and slept in a manger. It is unbelievable that God who is the creator of the heavens and earth would be born in a barn. He was born is such a place. He lowered himself that much. That was to save us who are soiled with sin. For that purpose the Lord’s servant lowered himself that much.

III. The glorification of the Lord’s servant (Vs. 15)
Therefore, the conclusion is to shut your mouth. Let’s read from the second line of verse 15. “and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
And what they have not heard, they will understand.”
The Lord’s servant will shed his blood and “sprinkle many nations” (15) and accomplish the work of salvation. Before the Lord’s servant, Jesus, shut your mouth. To shut your mouth is to be silent. “Kings will shut their mouths because of him.” (15) The only thing they can do is shut their mouths. They can only worship him. It is because acts are so awesome.
What does it mean to shut your mouth? Please open your Bibles to Rev. 5:6-14. “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God
and they will reign on the earth.’
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang;
‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!’
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!’
Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
This is a scene in heaven. If you look at verse 6 it says, “I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.” (Rev. 5:6) This is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was put on a cross as a lamb that was slain. After that he rose and ascended to heaven and sits on the right hand of God, but the scars of the nails are still left on his hands and feet. It says that he stood looking like a Lamb that “had been slain.” (Rev. 5:6) Before this Lamb that looks “as if it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6) are 4 living creatures and 24 elders who I think can be said to be representative of the redeemed saints in heaven. “They fell down” (Rev. 5:8) and sang praises.
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God
and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9, 10)
Their mouths aren’t shut, but are singing praises in a loud voice to the Lamb. That is because by his blood he purchased every people as kings, as priest “and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10) Before the work of the cross there are no words. There is only praise to God. This is the meaning of shutting your mouth.
This is what is expected of us too. Before God we have no words. What we have is only praise and thankfulness. For the Lamb who did that much for us that he looks “as if it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6) the only thing we can do is to give praise with our whole self. We can only sing: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12)
It will also be what be what we will do in the course of time in heaven.
However, that is not just in heaven, but now, on this earth too, the same thing can be said. While we are on this earth too now before Jesus Christ who was slain for us, put on the cross and completed the redemption of sins, we shut our mouths, and can only bow down and give him praise Our thoughts that we can’t put in words can be expressed in praise and thankfulness.
For me, so ugly, so deep in sin, sinless Jesus Christ’s “appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) He was spit on, stripped and whipped, and then to cap it all was put on the cross and died. What grace! It is really amazing grace!
John Newton who wrote the famous hymn, “Amazing Grace” was touched by the amazing grace of God and wrote this hymn. He was the captain on a slavery ship and one day, on May 10, 1748, when he was transporting black slaves between Africa and England the ship encountered a severe storm and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and finally called out to God as the ship filled with water. After he called out, the cargo came out and stopped up the hole, and the ship was able to drift to safety.
From that point on, he avoided profanity, gambling, and drinking. He began to read the Bible and religious books and in the course of time he became a pastor. As he reflected upon this event, he realized how huge the grace of God is that he, the lowest of all men, a black slave trader, would be saved and he wrote “Amazing Grace”. That was 24 years after the event in 1772.
We are not John Newton, but we too before the Lord’s work of the cross should shut our mouths. Shut our mouths and just bow before the Lord and give thankfulness and praise. We shouldn’t complain and grumble. We should stop blaming ourselves and criticizing others. There is no other way but to shut our mouths and be thankful and give praise. That is because Jesus carried all your sins and the sins of other people on the cross and died. No matter how pathetic we are, we should stop self-pity like thinking that we are pitiful. We should stop complaining and grumbling thinking that we don’t have this or that and we should stop criticizing thinking that this person is bad and that person is bad. It is not necessary to complain or act like you are the heroine in a play. Just shut your mouth.
If you were at the foot of Jesus Christ’s cross, probably you would have nothing to say. There is a hymn like this. “Were you there when they crucified my Lord”?
Verse 1
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Verse 2
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Verse 3
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?

Verse 4
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

Verse 5
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
If you were at the foot of the cross, your heart would tremble only. If you know that the cross is for you, then you won’t be able to say anything about yourself or other people. You will just have to be quiet and fall down. While just being overwhelmed by thankfulness which can’t be said in words, and amazing grace, you will just have to fall down. From repentance you will want to express thankfulness and joy with your whole body and spirit. Before God who knows everything, pour out your heart and give praise from your heart. That is real worship.
Please look at the end of verse 15. Here it says, “For what they were not told, they will see, and what you have not heard, they will understand.” By seeing the humiliation and exaltation of the servant, they will see and understand.
John 3:16 is a very famous passage and is the central passage of the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God is love. God gave his sinless only Son, his Son who is more important to Him than Himself, for us. He loved us this much. Those who really see that and understand that will all shut their mouths. They will just be quiet and fall before him and worship him. They will bow before them.
How about you? Have you seen and understood the humiliation and exaltation of the servant? Jesus died for you. He died on the cross and redeemed you for your sin. He took a good licking. “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) However, that was for you. It was for me. That was how much he loves us. Let’s just shut our mouths and bow and worship him. Then be thankful for the work of the cross which he accomplished and let’s praise and worship Him from our heart. That is the proper response to make to the Lord’s servant who has been exalted.

Today I would like to talk about the good news of salvation from Isaiah 52. In today’s passage too, God’s words of comfort continue. In the previous chapter God spoke powerfully, “I even I, am he who comforts you.” (51:12) Here too, the Lord comforts his people. God is telling them how great the grace is for those who are redeemed by the Lord and that he will comfort them by various ways.

I. Only by grace (vs. 1-6)
First look at verses 1-6.
Vs. 1
“Awake, Awake!” (1) also appeared in 51:9 and 51:17, but it appears here again. In 51:9 the Israelites are calling out to God, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD,” but in 15:17 God is talking to Israel. He is saying that you are the ones that must open your eyes. You have to wake up and see what the situation that you have been put in is like. Here is the same. God says to Israel, “Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor.” (1) God is saying to look carefully at themselves and what they are like.
The reason why they must look carefully at themselves and what they are like is because they are already saved. They have been set free from captivity and everything that they had lost has been recovered. “The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.“ (1) This refers to Babylon. Babylon had been completely destroyed. Therefore, they have no need to worry about anything. This is written in the past tense as if this has already occurred, but in reality it hasn’t occurred yet. God is saying that because he will fulfill it they must act as if they are already saved.
Therefore it says in verse 2, “Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion now a captive.” “Shake off your dust; rise up“ (2) or “free yourself from the chains on your neck“ (2) means you must not forever appear as a captive. “Dust” (2) or “chains” (2) expresses the manner of slaves. They were captured by Babylon and had to work getting dirtied by dust and mud. Also their hands and feet and necks were chained by metal and wood chains so they could not move freely. However, now they have been set free from such conditions. Therefore they must shake off the dust and free themselves from the chains on them.
We too are the same. Before we were dirtied by the mud and dust of sin, and were chained by the chains of sin. However, by the grace of God by redemption through the cross of Jesus Christ we were saved. We are no longer slaves of sin. We have been set free from it. Therefore, we have to shake off the dust from when we were slaves. We must free ourselves from the chains of sin. We must not forever live as if we are slaves of sin. We must not live forever like a slave of sin dwelling on it, being sad about little things, complaining, and wailing and living like Gentiles with an empty heart.
Paul said the same thing in Ephesians. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1) “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds.” (Ephesians 4:22, 23)
To do that you have to look at what kind of person you are. You have to open your eyes and look carefully at the condition that you have been put in. You have to look at the fact that you believe in Jesus Christ and are a completely new person, and that you have been set free from eternal destruction, and “shake off your dust” (2) and “free yourself from the chains on your neck.” (2)
Please look at verse 3. “For this is what the LORD says:
‘You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed.”
Usually when you buy and sell things, there is giving and receiving of money. However, here it says that when Israel is set free from Babylon such giving and receiving of money did not take place. “Without money” (3) they were redeemed. That was because they “were sold for nothing.” (3) What this means is explained in verses 4 and 5.
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
And now what do I have here?’ declares the LORD.
‘For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,’ declares the LORD.
‘And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.’”
Here it says the Israel “went down to Egypt to live;” (4) and that “Assyria has oppressed them.” (4) That is the same as now. Now the people are struggling by the Babylon’s capture of them. If you look at the history of Israel they have been continually oppressed.
However think about it carefully. In 51:6 God said to Israel, “You are my people.” They are God’s, the people of God. We can’t remember God ever selling them. Certainly Israel as a result of their sins became separated from God, and were punished. That resulted in tribulation from Assyria and Babylon. However, it must be remembered that that was to discipline them and they hadn’t been sold to Assyria and Babylon. Even so Assyria and Babylon misunderstood this and thought the Israelites belonged to them and at their own discretion did harm to them. God himself was held in contempt the most. The Lord’s name was blasphemed.
For example, when Moses asked the Pharaoh of Egypt to let the people go, the Pharaoh answered, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORED and I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)
Also when Hezekiah encouraged the people saying that God would save Israel, the Assyrian field commander said, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?…How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” (36:18-20) They said things like this and blasphemed Israel’s God.
Thus the Lord will do what is written in verse 6. “Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
The Lord’s name has been blasphemed so it must not remain overlooked. Therefore, God himself will rise up for his own name sake and save them. Then Israel will know the Lord’s name. Here what is clear is that God works in this way not for us. It must be remembered that it is for God’s own name. It is so that God himself will not be blasphemed. In other words, they were saved by the one way grace of God.
We were saved not because we are superior or smart or refined or a good person or earnest, etc. We are saved only because God loves us. It is only because God did it for us. It is not because of something that we did. It is for God’s name. God did this so that God’s name will be praised, and so that God’s glory will be shown.
In Ephesians 2 it says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not of works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)
We were saved only by the grace of God. When we were dead in our “transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient,” (Ephesians2:1,2) we were dead so we said nothing. We couldn’t do anything on our own. We were saved because God gave life to us who were dead.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
For that purpose God gave his only Son, Jesus Christ to us. He gave us a present. It is a one way present from God. Soon it will be Christmas. At Christmas we give lots of presents. The greatest present is that God gave us his son Jesus Christ. That is so “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) That is by the one way grace of God.
There is a story about salvation by grace. A person fell into a deep hole. It was really deep and he couldn’t climb out by himself. Buddah came. “The bad things you have done in life caused you to fall. Too bad.” And with a sad face he left. Next Confucius came. “If you had followed my teaching, that wouldn’t have happened” and regretfully he left. After that one person came. He didn’t say anything. He lowered a rope and went down in the hole. Then he embraced the man and pulled him up. This was really Jesus Christ.
Grace is receiving a present that you don’t deserve. Pay can be compared to grace. Pay is the money you receive for working. It is can be said that those who work deserve the right to receive pay. However, salvation is not pay. Salvation is by the grace of God. If our salvation is obtained by our accomplishment and achievements, then heaven will be a contest of bragging. “I did this so I was saved.” However, heaven is a humble place. Salvation is grace so there is no one boasting there. The destiny of those who are dead in transgressions and sin are “by nature objects of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3) They are destined to receive God’s judgment and to go to hell. “By nature” (Eph. 2:3) they should perish. However, God who is abundantly merciful, by his huge love, gave us who were dead in our transgressions life with Christ. We have been saved only by grace. Even though all of mankind is perishing, there is an exception. That is just like a person sentenced to death receiving a special pardon, and becoming acquitted as innocent. That is a great thing and there is no greater joy.
“Therefore my people will know my name.” (6) Let’s remember well that God’s salvation is by the one way grace of God and not by what we do. Let’s stick to our Christian life by faith.

II. Good tidings (vs. 7-10)
Next please look at verses 7 to 10. I will read verse 7. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Up until now Isaiah has prophesized about Israel being saved from Babylon. Moreover, God will save them by his one way grace. This is the Gospel, the good news, the good tidings. Here it says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7)
Paul quoted this verse and talked about how wonderful preaching the gospel is. I will read Romans 10:13 to15. “How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Usually we have an image of feet being dirty. However, these feet are beautiful because they “bring good news”. (7) Those who preach the Gospel are the most beautiful.
That is because they “proclaim peace,…bring good tidings,… proclaim salvation.” (7) They bring joyful news and proclaim it so they are filled with joy. Imagine it please. How happy would you be if you brought some good news and proclaimed it to someone? This is a message of hope and freedom so you would be moved and overflowing in joy.
The content of this message is “Your God reigns!” (7) It is the testimony that up until now you have been god. You have acted like you are the king of your life. The result has been destructive and really disappointing. Even though you thought there was no one as reliable as you, you realized there was no one as irresponsible as yourself. However, another king came, and pulled together your life which was in ruins. That is your God. ”Your God reigns!” (7) so you were saved from a destructive life and are able to live a life of peace and joy. Therefore, “How beautiful…are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7)
In a book that a person wrote, it is written about why the present day church is not strong. According to the book, the first reason is that the people who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior have not become Christ’s disciples. They have believed in Jesus, but they are not living a life of following Jesus. They are still the king of their life. The second reason is that those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior have not become apostles. They have received a lot of teaching about Christ, but they don’t go out and preach to Gospel to other people.
That makes a lot of sense. No matter how much you believe in Christ, if you don’t follow Christ, nothing will change in your life. Even though you believe in Christ you will conduct yourself as if you are still in sin. Also if you have only received the grace of the Gospel and not put it on the outside, in other words, not proclaimed it, it will bring no joy. “How beautiful…are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7) Let’s become beautiful feet. Let’s become feet that “bring good news,” (7) beautiful, healthy, attractive, and good looking feet.
In verse 8 “watchmen” appear. “Watchmen” (8) were the men stationed on Jerusalem’s walls. They stood there and if the enemy came, they rang the warning bell. If a messenger came, they had to notice him quickly and open the gates and soon spread the message. These watchmen are lifting “up their voices; together they shout for joy.” (8) The reason for this is written at the end of the verse. “When the LORD returns to Zion, They will see it with their own eyes.” (8)
That is because they will see with their own eyes the person who brings the good news come and the Lord returning to Zion. When the Lord returns to Zion he will rebuild the ruined Jerusalem. This is really comfort. What man can’t do, God will do. Not only will God set Israel free from her captivity to Babylon, but He will also rebuild Jerusalem which is in ruins. The Lord comforts the people, and redeems Jerusalem. This is good news, right? And this is not just Jerusalem, but is the same for all countries. The Lord through Jesus Christ saved us from sin, and redeemed the city of heaven, heaven’s Jerusalem. The Lord will before the eyes of all nations, show the holy arm of God. By it everyone to the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. This was already by the birth of the church fulfilled on a spiritual side. Christ’s salvation has been brought not only to Jerusalem, but to Judah and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. To the ends of the earth God’s salvation is being seen.

III. Depart, depart (Vs. 11, 12)
Therefore, the conclusion is “depart, depart. Go out from there.” (11) They are to depart from there. Let’s read together verses 11 and 12.
Verses 11 & 12
Israel was saved by the one way grace of God. They have been clothed with beautiful garments. Also on their feet they have put on shoes of the Gospel of peace. In order to proclaim the good news they have entered into the preparation of the gospel of peace. What God wants them to do is ”Depart, depart, Go out from there.” (11) You have been saved from Babylon and have been clothed in beautiful clothing. Since you have left Babylon, you must “shake off your dust”(2) and “free yourself from the chains on your neck.” (2) Then “go out from there. Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure.” (11)
“But you will not leave in haste or go in flight:
for the LORD will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (12)

It is not necessary to “leave in haste or go in flight” (12) like when you left Egypt. Your pursuers won’t come. Even if your enemy Satan comes and captures you again, you will not perish in your sins. A person who was saved one time will never lose his salvation. No matter how much you forget the Lord, no matter how far you become separated from the Lord, the Lord will never forget you. He will grab you and not let go.
Jesus promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) The Lord is with you always. (Matt. 28:20) “The LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (12) “But you will not leave in haste or go in flight.” (12) Slowly, but surely you will be thankful for the grace of the Lord who redeemed you, and you must “Go out from” (11) Babylon. You must not stay in the sin forever. Since you have been clothed in beautiful clothes, since you put on good news, the preparation for the gospel, you must “Go out from” (11) Babylon, and you must be purified. You must stop clinging to you past life style and walk the road that the Lord who saved you wants you to walk.
What is your Babylon? What is the thing that you struggle with finding it difficult to leave? However, no matter what it is, you have been clothed with beautiful clothes. You have received the good news so you must depart from there. Slowly, but surely “go out from there!” (11) Let’s walk the road that the Lord wants you to walk. As a person saved from sin, how about now stopping remaining in sin and living a life of giving all to God?

Today I would like to talk from the last part of Isaiah chapter 51. Verse 12 says, “I even I, am he who comforts you.” The Lord comforts us. He sets us free from fear. Today I would like to talk about three points concerning this.

I. You are my people (Vs. 12-16)
First please look at verses 12 to 16. Verse 12 says, “I even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass”?
“I even I” (12) is stressing the I. There is no one else except “I” who can really comfort you. Only God can comfort you. So why do “you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass”? (12)
Please look at verse 13. ”that you forget the LORD your Maker,
who stretches out the heavens
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?”
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
The Lord created the heavens and the earth. He is also “your Maker”. (13) How could the Lord forget you? Isaiah 49:15 says,　”Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” God will definitely not forget you. God always remembers you and will help you. Even so we quickly forget this and fear “the wrath of the oppressor.” (13) It is not God who forgets, but us.
It is like we are heading for destruction, but we are saved from eternal destruction. By believing in our Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross and then 3 days later rose again, we received forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. We will definitely not go to hell. We are saved from eternal destruction. So why do “you live in constant terror every day”? (13) There is nothing to fear.
That is not all. Please look at verse 14. “The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread.”
“The cowering prisoners” (14) are the Israelites who were captured by Babylon. They “will soon be set free.” (14) There is no need to worry that they will “die in their dungeon” (14) or that they will “lack bread.” (14) The Lord will fulfill all their needs. In the same way, those who are enslaved to sin when they believe in Jesus and are set free from their sins, the Lord will fulfill all their needs so there is nothing to worry about.
Jesus said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” (Matt. 6:31) “Look at the birds… your heavenly Father feeds them…See how the lilies of the field grow…not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ” (Matt. 6:26-29) Therefore, God will surely take care of you. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34)
What do you fear? What are you worrying about? Your social security being cut? Your health? It’s o.k. Your Father in heaven will care for you. “The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread.” (14) If you depend upon this promise, then you have nothing to worry about.
Please look at verses 15 and 16. “For I am the LORD your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-
the LORD Almighty is his name.
I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand-
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
This means that God is tremendous. And He says, “You are my people.” (16) This is awesome! We are really like dust, but he says this to us. We have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and are the people of God. This is our Christian identity. Whether we know who we are or not is a big thing. If you know that you have been redeemed by God, and have the awareness that you are a servant of God, then you have nothing to fear.
For example, think of yourself as the wife of a Millionaire. I think you have probably never thought of yourself as a wife of a Millionaire. However, in reality you are. The world is all God’s, the Creator’s. You are God’s wife. You are the bride of Christ. Does of a bride of a millionaire worry about her life? Does she worry about what she is going to live on tomorrow? If she will have money to eat? How she is going to pay for things? No. Whatever she needs is provided. We have been redeemed by God and have become the people of God. Therefore, it is not necessary to worry about anything. God is saying to you, “You are my people.” (16) This is real comfort, isn’t it? Don’t forget your position that you have been put in. You have been redeemed by God and are the people of God. If you remember this, you will be given a deep peace.

II. Awake, awake! Jerusalem (Vs. 17-20)
Next please look at verses 17 to 20. Verse 17 says, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath.”
In verse 9 too it said, “Awake, awake”, but here it also says, “Awake, awake!” (17) In verse 9 Israel is saying to God, “Awake, awake, arm of the LORD, clothe yourself with strength!”, but here is the reverse. God is saying to Israel, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem.” (17) He is saying to Jerusalem to open their eyes. That is because they are not looking clearly at their situation.
Someone said, “a prayer to open God’s eyes must also be a prayer to open your own eyes.” These are significant words! “A prayer to open God’s eyes must also be a prayer to open your own eyes.” That means that before we pray to God to open His eyes, we must first open our own eyes. We have to open our eyes and see clearly the situation that we have been put in.
The situation that they have been put in is in verse 17. “You… have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath.” This is the Babylon captivity. They turned their backs on God, and walked their own selfish ways so God punished them by raising up the country of Babylon.
Verse 19 says, “These double calamities have come upon you-
Who can comfort you?-
Ruin and destruction, famine and sword-
Who can console you?”
There is no one to comfort them. They have drunk too much wine and can’t support their bodies and are staggering, but there are no children to take them by the hand and guide them. That is because as it says in verse 20 their “children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD.” They need to open their eyes and see this reality clearly. They need to see this reality, repent, and turn to God. That is what is meant by, “Awake, awake!” (17)
How about you? Are you awake? Have you opened your eyes and looked clearly at the situation that you are in? Have you seen the cup of the Lord’s wrath directed at you? Have you thought about what it means? Or are you only looking at the surface of what is occurring before your eyes thinking that this is good or this is bad, alternating between joy and sorrows.
Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 12:5 to 12. Here the purpose of God’s punishment is written. “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciples the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Here it says, “Endure hardship as discipline.” (Hebrews 12:7) That is discipline. God disciplines us because “God is treating you as his children.” (Hebrews 12:7) All children are disciplined by their fathers. If there is a child that is not disciplined it is because he is not legitimate and not a true son or daughter. A father wants his legitimate child to grow up grandly so he disciplines. This discipline is “famine and sword” (19) God is disciplining Israel so that they will be able to partake in the holiness of God.
When the mothers were studying the Bible at the last English evangelism program there was a discussion that some of the mothers get frustrated and lose their patience with their children. The children don’t do what the mothers want them to do quickly. They take a long time. Without realizing it, they are nagging, “Do this” or “Do that” and then they get upset with themselves for doing so. Then I asked, “For your own physical training, what do you do?” They answered, “Curves”. (a popular women’s gym) “I go twice a week to Curves.” Just like you go to Curves to get your body in shape, God gives such frustrations to get our hearts in shape.
The result is “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11) We are really trained by things that if we could we would like to avoid, things that we hate, and frustrations. By such training and discipline we are able to have “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11) Therefore, God doesn’t discipline us because He hates us, but the opposite, because He loves us. God gives us such difficulties so we will have “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11)
Of course, the Israelites were captive to Babylon as a result of their sin. They left the God of Israel and ran to idols. However, God said to such an Israel, “You are my people” (16) and brought them up as God’s children carefully guiding them.
This is from an article in the Living Life devotional. A person bought a factory that was so decayed that no one had any interest in it and developed merchandise. The merchandise was sold with great speed and he became absorbed in enjoying making money. Then his Christian walk waned. When the church had a big event he showed

up, but he sat in the back, and before the benediction was over he left. However, in the midst of the expansion of business, he was visited by a financial crisis. Financing became debt. He lost his resources for selling merchandise.
Then for the first time he put his hands up and came bowing before God. He began praying. He lost his money and he sought God. Several days later he asked the Pastor to do an opening of business service. When the opening of business service was over he confessed before the people. “I started penniless and I have returned to being penniless. However, but this I was able to obtain a new life.” If by chance, my business had continued going well; my soul would have been separated eternally from God. Today I will open this factory, but I have a new faith. How thankful I am! My life starts from here.”
It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I think there aren’t many people who would make such a confession. He failed in business, but by that he met God and was able correct his direction in life so he was thankful. Greater than the pains of opening the business was the joy of salvation. This is something that by man’s brain can’t be understood nor accepted. It is a confession that only those people who really meet God, and recognize God’s authority and amazing providence can make. To open your eyes is things like this.

III. The cup of wrath that has been taken out of your hand (Vs., 21-23)
Lastly let’s look at verses 21 to 23. I will read verse 21 and the first part of verse 22. “Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,
made drunk, but not with wine.
This is what your Sovereign LORD says
your God, who defends his people:”
Verse 22 says, “your Sovereign LORD…your God, who defends his people” God defends us. I John 2:1 also says this:　“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Jesus Christ defends us. Moreover, he fights to defend us. That’s because the Lord is God and is a perfect defender. What “God, who defends his people” (22) says is written in verses 22 and 23. “See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again.
I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,
who said to you,
‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’
And make your back like the ground,
like a street to be walked on.”
The Lord said to Israel that He will take out of their “hand the cup that made” (22) them stagger. Not only will they never drink it again, but God “will put it into the hands of” (23) their tormentors. Their “tormentors” (23) were Babylon. Before they said to Israel “Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.” (23) Therefore next the same thing will come down upon Babylon. Before those who tormented Israel will next drink the cup of God’s wrath. Therefore, Israel must not fear them. Those who don’t know God are destroyed by punishment, but those who are loved by God, those who are the people of God, God defends and watches over so there is nothing to fear. That is real comfort, isn’t it?
Now what do you fear? An American minister, Warren W. Wiersbe said that what makes us fear and when we look at all instances of fear the source and origin of fear is a lack of faith. Fear and faith can never go together. Therefore, to overcome fear, the first thing to do is by faith to look to God. Worship God and look at how magnificent God is and His glory. Remember that He is enthroned. The key to victory in this life is to look to God and win over fear.
There　is a 26 year old widow Ashley Smith who was seized as a hostage by Brian Nichols who was fleeing after shooting and killing inside the Fulton County Court house in Atlanta where he was to be tried. While being under his control for 7 hours, she persuaded him to surrender to the police. She was coming home from the store at 2:00 A.M. when she was seized as a hostage in the apartment parking lot. The person that seized her as a hostage had the day before in the Fulton County Court of Atlanta murdered the judge and 4 women peace officers with a gun. Then the murderer, Brian Nichols escaped and fled. In the midst of fear that she might be killed too, the reason that she was able to persuade him to turn himself into the police was because she felt that it was by the providence of God that she was a hostage and in his life too God had a planned purpose and read “The Purpose Driven life” by Rick Warren to him.
Ashley got such courage by looking to God. As it said in the book she read, she looked at the incident from God’s view point and trusted that God would do something good from it. In the most fearful moment, a really weak girl was changed into a merciful angel.
People who by faith overcome fear, can stay calm and can deal with the situation they are put in. Satan tries to bind us with a rope, but they make Satan powerless and are able to experience spiritual victory. You too who are God’s people are promised victory. That is really comfort, isn’t it? This comes by having faith in God who says, ““I even I, am he who comforts you.” (1) Therefore, look to God. Let’s worship this mighty God’s glory. Then you too will have victory over fear and can receive God’s comfort. Trust in these words: “I even I, am he who comforts you.” (1)Let’s experience how great God’s power works for those who believe in Him.

Today I would like to talk about “The Lord who comforts” from this passage of Isaiah 51. We daily have worries and struggles, and we wonder where we can find comfort. In today’s passage the Lord says, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Truly, the Lord comforts. We can discover real comfort here. Today I would like to talk about 3 things concerning the comfort of the Lord.

I. Look to the rock from which you were cut (vs. 1-3)
First please look at verses 1 to 3. The opening statement of verse 1 is “you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD.” What kind of person pursues righteousness? In verses 5 to 8 the word “righteousness” appears ever and over again. If you look at this passage the word “righteousness” and the word “salvation” are written as being equaled. For example, verse 5 says, “My righteousness draws near speedily” and then it is followed with “my salvation is on the way.” Verse 6 too says, “My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” Also verse 8 says, “My righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.” In other words, “righteousness” and “salvation are used as having the same meaning. Therefore, “righteousness” is “salvation”. Also “salvation” is “righteousness”. And then if you look at I Cor. 1:30 you will see that this “righteousness” is Jesus Christ. It says, “Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Therefore those “who pursue righteousness” (1) are ultimately those “who seek the LORD.” As verse 1 says, they “seek the LORD”, Jesus. However, at this time Christ hadn’t come yet so it is said that that those who pursue God’s salvation refers to the Israelites.
To Israel it says,”Listen to me”. (1) “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.
The LORD will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on
all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of
the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.” (1-3)
“The rock from which you were cut” (1) and “the quarry from which you were hewn” (1) is the place that Israel came from. In other words, it is their roots. Therefore, this is saying to look carefully at where they came from and how they came to be. Concretely as it says in verse 2 this refers to Abraham and Sarah. The roots of Israel were Abraham and Sarah. Israel came from them. They are told to think about Abraham and Sarah. That was because by thinking of Abraham and Sarah they will be given real comfort and hope. If they think about where they came from and how they were saved, then Gods grace will be seen and they will be full of thankfulness. As I have said many times before, at this time Israel was captive to Babylon and they were forced to live as slaves. In such a hopeless situation, by thinking about where they came from, by seeing the grace of the Lord they could overcome the suffering and live in hope.
Here let’s think about Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah appear from Genesis 11. They were originally from “Ur of the Chaldeans.” (Genesis 11:28) Ur was most likely a city on the Euphrates in southern Iraq. At that time it was the central area of the Mesopotamian civilization and culture. It was a large prospering city that had reached high levels of civilization and culture. However, they were pagans that worshipped a moon god. In other words, they were completely Gentiles, far from the real God, and they had no hope in this world. Then they were by God’s one way mercy, called out of this world. Genesis 12:1 says, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
We don’t know clearly if this was when he was in Ur or when he was in Haram, but either one, when he was still immersed in pagan idol worship, by the one way grace of God he was saved. Then according to the promise it says that all the people on the earth will be blessed by him. In other words, he wasn’t born in the beginning as a people of God. He was completely a Gentile. He had no home in the world. It was by the one way grace of God that he was saved. If you think about this, then you will be thankful.
Paul wrote the following to the Christians in Ephesus, “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)-remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:11-13)

At that time the Ephesian Christians were returning to their lives before they were saved and were living like Gentiles without hope. In order to come to their senses and return to God it was necessary for them to remember how they were saved.
Whenever we are struggling, we often say that the past was good, but before doing so we need to think about what kind of past the past was. We glorify the past, but in reality it was empty. We didn’t know God, and were hopeless, lost like a kite whose string was cut. Without God no matter how many of the things we want, we get, even if we can live how we want to live, only a sense of emptiness is left. No matter how many pleasures we enjoy, each time the aftertaste is bad, emptiness and anxiety that can’t be expressed hover over us. We also have fear that when we die that it is the end. However, we were saved from all of this.
I met Jesus when I was a senior in High School. At that time I was like that. I didn’t know what I should become. When the door to go to college was closed and I was promised a job in a large company, I lived everyday how I wanted to live. I gave up feeling that I could never make anything out of my life so I thought I would live doing what I wanted to do. No matter how much I enjoyed pleasures, I never felt fulfilled, but rather emptiness was left. I lived like my feet weren’t on the ground. At that time I met Jesus. Then I knew clearly where I came from, where I was, and where I was going. I knew for what purpose I was living. Then joy overfilled my heart and I began to desire to live for the Lord. My family was completely uninterested in such things and when I went to church my family said, “Don’t get deeply involved！” My family was completely immersed in worldly culture. I was saved out of it. That was really a miracle. It is grace. Then in the course of time my parents who said, “Don’t get deeply involved！” also were led to a confession of faith and were baptized. There is a saying,”Return to your original intentions.” When I am having a bad time or struggling, I always remember this time in my life. When I remember this, my heart is overflowing with thankfulness, and I become happy.
Among us there are some who were born and raised in Christian homes and as long as they can remember went to church, but this is also grace. To have been given Christian parents also means you have been given the fortune of the Christian faith. Everything was given by God so it is God’s grace. Let’s remember this.
Sarah is also written in this verse. “Look…to Sarah, who gave you birth.” (2) Israel’s ancestor, Jacob’s father was Isaac who was the child born to Abraham when he was 100 years old and Sarah when she was 90 years old. Sarah knew that she was past the age of child bearing and unable to bear children, but she believed that God who made the promise was faithful. For example, no matter how handicapped the situation she was put in, no matter how impossible it seemed, she believed that God had the power to fulfill what he had promised. Then God according to the promise increased their descendants. In other words, Sarah was enabled to bear Isaac because she had the faith that God could do anything. No matter how impossible the situation seemed, it was by faith that Isaac was born, and even now his descendants are increasing throughout the world.
When the Israelites thought about the Lord they were given assurance that God will definitely take notice of Israel. And they were overflowing in joy and thankfulness. It is like as it says in verse 3, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on
all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Zion is Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon。There is no trace of it and it was reduced to ruins. However, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion…he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Now it is in the condition of being reduced to ruins, like a desert, desolate like wastelands, but “The LORD will surely comfort Zion…he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Even if you see with your eyes how hopeless it is, “with God nothing is impossible”. (Luke 1:37) God who promised this is faithful so no matter how impossible of a situation, according to the promise, God will work. You will know that if you “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.” (2) You must “Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” (1) If so you will be comforted, have hope, and can regain your footing.
This is not just Israel, but we are the same. Christians too loose their own identity and become anxious. In such difficult situations we soon wail and complain.
However, if you “Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn,” (1) then you will be comforted. If you “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth,” (2) you will be overflowing with thankfulness for God’s grace of one way salvation. You will be given hope that God will definitely restore the situation you have been placed in.

II. Listen to me (Vs. 4-8)
Next let’s look at verses 4 to 8. Verse 4 says, “Listen to me, my people;
Hear me, my nation.”
What they had to listen to and hear was that “the law will go out from” (4) God. He “will become a light to the nations” (4) and show them the way.
Verse 5 says, “My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way.” I talked about that this “righteousness” and “salvation” is Jesus Christ. The time of the coming of Jesus Christ is near. This is 2000 years ago when Christ came and at the same time it is at the end of the world when Christ will come again to this world. When we look at verses 6 to 8, it is truly the scene of the end of the world.
Verse 6 says, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.”
This heaven and earth will not continue forever. They in the course of time will come to an end. “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment.” (6) The people that live there will “die like flies.” (6) If you give our whole life to such things, there is nothing more futile. That is because there is no comfort. However if we listen to God’s “salvation” and God’s “righteousness”, then we will receive comfort. That is because God’s “salvation will last forever.” (6) God’s “righteousness will never fail.” (6) God will never change, and his “years will never end.” (Psalm 102:27)
What do you listen to? What do you hear? What we need to listen to is the words of God’s salvation. That is because it “will last forever…through all generations.” (8)
Please open you Bibles to Isaiah 40:6-8. It says,”All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them, Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
This is the message of the prophet. The prophet cried out,”All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field… The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” This is hope.
In I Thess. 4:18 Paul advises, “encourage each other with these words.” “These words” (I Thess. 4:18) is the message that the Lord is coming again. At that time “the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (I Thess. 4: 16, 17) The message that we must listen to and hear is truly that the Lord is coming. If we listen and hear this message, we can be comforted.
Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) Jesus will always be with us “to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)No matter what, he will always be with us. No matter how large an earthquake comes, no matter

if you lose everything in a tidal wave, even if you are told that you are sick and only have a short time to live, God is always with us. There is no greater comfort than this: God is always with us “to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

III. God has his timing (Vs. 9-11)
One thing that is necessary to receive God’s comfort is to know that God has his timing. Please look at verses 9 to 11. Verse 9 says, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with
strength,
O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in the days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?”
“Awake, awake!” (9) is a prayer to the Lord. It is calling out to God. He is calling out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength,” (9) and without regret demonstrate the powerful “arm of the LORD.” (9) Their prayer is like “In the past I know the wonderful acts you performed to Abraham and Sarah. Also in the future I know you will perform the acts of salvation. However, look at the present. We are in a terrible situation. We were captured by Babylon and we are struggling being used as slaves. Therefore, save us from this situation.” For them it seemed just like God was sleeping. They felt like God didn’t do anything for them. Therefore, they are calling out to God saying, “Awake, awake!” (9)
“Generations of old” means “long ago”. Rahab is a symbolic expression for Egypt. Also “that monster” (9) is the devil, Satan who is behind Egypt. If you look at verse 10, this is the event of the Exodus so it is clear that Rahab refers to Egypt. They are saying, “in the generations of old” (9)God destroyed Egypt, which was thought to be the great world power, performed miracles, divided the Red Sea, and “made a road in the depths of the sea so that” (10) Israel “might cross over.” (10) God showed wonderful miracles to their ancestors. Please show the same miracles to us now.
If God in the past performed such great acts, the same God is now living and so God can do the same things or even greater things now so asking for that is natural. However, what they have to remember is that God has his timing. God had the power to save them. However, God’s timing to work is different from our timing. We want solutions as soon as possible, as soon as possible we want to prepare what is needed, and as soon as possible we want to be relieved. God’s timing is different. God really works at the latest possible time. One reason is so that we don’t fall into unbelief. If he

answers too fast, we are really stupid and forget that God did it and are prideful like we did it ourselves. We assume that we did it by our own merit, by our own faith, and by our own power. .
Therefore, God ventures to make us powerless, and works when we are unable to do anything. By doing that it becomes clear in everyone’s eyes that only God can do it. And then all glory is given to God.
We have to remember this. When our prayers aren’t answered, we soon become irritated and demand. We call out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) However, not like this, but we must put the whole breadth of our faith on the “arm of the LORD.” (9)
When I was in Fukushima the church tackled the construction of a church. There was a piece of land in a good place that was 600 tsubo (坪). (1 tsubo is equal to 2 tatami mats so 600 tsubo is a piece of land the size of 1,200 tatami mats, a very large piece of land!) However, the land was in an area zoned for farming only so it could not be built on, but there is a clause that says that religious groups can build on farming land. To build on it you need permission from the prefecture. In Fukushima prefecture there had never been a religious group that had received such permission so it was thought to be a very difficult thing to do. However, I believed that “with God nothing is impossible”. (Luke 1:37) and that if it was the Lord’s will that it would be given so I went to the person in charge of it at the Prefectural office many, many times. Sometimes I went with a cake that my wife had made, but there was no progress at all. I gave up a couple times, but each time the Lord encouraged me with His Word.
One such time I talked to a person that was studying in an English class at the church. He said that it would be good to talk to a member of the prefectural council who was a qualified real estate dealer. That councilman lived near us and he had come to our house many times to greet us so I knew him very well. Immediately I went and talked to him about the situation. He said that he would talk to the appropriate person and he did. Then amazingly it progressed and in November 1997 the permission to build was granted. In Fukushima Prefecture that was the first time it had ever been granted. That was 4 and a half years after I first went to visit the man in charge at the Prefectural office, but in reality it was at the best timing. We had a plan for everyone to give and to pay for the land in cash and then borrow the money from the bank for the building. However, we still didn’t have all the money for the land. The final amount of the money needed for the land was given in the same month that the permission was given to build. Therefore, when we got the permission we were able to pay and buy the land. It was the best time to have received the permission. Until then I had prayed wondering why the Lord wasn’t answering, but in reality that was the best timing.

God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Eccl. 3:11) God leads us at the best time, in the best way. Therefore, we must pray depending on the “arm of the LORD” (9) that leads us the best way.
If we look at the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” (Mark 4:35) The disciples jumped into the boat and started out. However suddenly “a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.” (Mark 4:37) However, Jesus was sleeping in the stern. This upset the disciples and they woke him up saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drowned?” (Mark 4:38) In the words of Isaiah it would be, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) They are asking Jesus to do something. Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind saying, “Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:39) Then the wind stopped and it became completely calm.
Jesus can rebuke the wind, and even the lake obeys him. Jesus is that powerful. However, God works at the latest possible time. He is “in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.” (Mark 4:38) However, the Lord does not slumber, or sleep. There isn’t a time when he doesn’t know our prayers. At the necessary time God will work immediately. God really works at the latest possible time not to give us a bad time, but so that we will put the whole breadth of our faith on the “arm of the LORD.” (9) That is so we won’t depend upon our own strength, but depend on the “arm of the LORD.” (9) He does this so we will see what God is like.
We tend to cry out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) However, more importantly is to believe that God can do anything and then to leave everything to the “arm of the LORD.” (9) Then we will see God’s great works and be comforted, and praise the Lord. Such a person will have an experience like verse 11. “The ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Let’s put all in the hands of the Lord who controls all things. Let’s wait upon the Lord. Let’s listen to the Lord. May we receive real encouragement from the Lord. May we “enter Zion with singing.” (11) May everlasting joy crown our heads. This will be brought about by depending upon the “arm of the LORD” (9) at all times.